


No Looking Forward, No Turning Back

by writeyourownlifestory



Series: Time After Time [1]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Karate, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:48:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 55,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26530009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownlifestory/pseuds/writeyourownlifestory
Summary: If Johnny Lawrence was home, he would be at the country club or with his friends at the beach or on a date with his girlfriend. But he wasn't home. Instead, he was in New Jersey trying to make a better life for himself and his mother after a rapid departure from his shitty step-dad. His mom insisted this was for the better and it probably would be if it wasn't for the overeager kid from the Y desperately trying to learn Karate.Or really: what if Johnny had moved to Jersey instead of Daniel going to California.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Series: Time After Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980073
Comments: 198
Kudos: 423





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I had told my friends if I wrote a fanfic for this couple they could break my knuckles so. Hopefully, I'll finish this before they find out. I'm 10 chapters in and have a few more to go. Still debating on whether or not to move from T to M but for now, we'll stick with the rating I set. 
> 
> Please enjoy.

If Johnny Lawrence was home right now, he would be at the country club. He’d be working on his backswing on the tennis court or having brunch with some of Ali’s friends because she always liked to do shit like that. 

Or maybe he’d be at the beach with his friends, working on his tan or riding his bike through the sand. He had finally gotten used to the control of it through the thicker terrains and had been working on a few new tricks and turns. 

Or maybe he’d be at the dojo with Kreese, working on winning another tournament and earning the title of champion for the third year in a row. He had never lost a point up until then and he had been determined to carry on that tradition. 

Except Johnny Lawrence wasn’t home. That great big mansion facing the sea was nothing more than a distant memory. Now, he and his mom were on their way to their new place of residency; some apartment complex that his mom’s cousin was willing to rent to them on the cheap so long as they didn’t ask him to remodel anything in return. 

Johnny never met his mother’s family. She had come from a very traditional background and when the bright teenage girl got pregnant after going all the way with a college boy home on the weekend, her parents made it very clear they wanted nothing to do with her or the bastard child. 

His mother never blamed him for it though and to be honest, he had no real interest in meeting his grandparents or finding out who exactly his father was. The guy didn’t stick around so why should he? 

His mom had done everything she could to give him a good life. She dropped out of school and worked her ass off to keep them afloat. Sometimes Johnny missed when it had just been them, back before Sid ever came around. 

The guy was older than his mother by a decade and a half and didn’t want anything to do with Johnny, but he liked his mom (or at least specific body parts of hers) and they were a tag team so when she scored the old guy with a fat wallet, Johnny’s life picked up rapidly. 

No longer were they eating microwavable food or saving up their loose change. Sid gave them a life Johnny never even imagined for himself and all they had to do was put up with his foul mouth and vicious mood swings. 

And they did for a time. For five years they put up with the name-calling and the crude comments. He put on the blissful smile whenever they would show their face in public because that was what you were meant to do. Johnny wanted to be a good step-son to Sid, though he put his focus on Kreese and allowed the man to be the father figure he so desperately craved even if deep down he knew the man was just as bad, just on a different playing field. 

It wasn’t until it had gotten physical that his mom decided enough was enough. Sid wasn’t a drinker, which was what made it all worse. The anger didn’t come from the alcohol, the horrible words weren't made up of slurred speech. Sid had no respect for him or his mom so when the man decided to put his hands on the woman that raised him, Johnny felt no need to respect the man in return. 

He used the karate skills that Kreese had taught him and knocked the old man unconscious. Sid got a few good hits in, resulting in Johnny getting a black eye, but all that did was seal the deal to kick the old man’s ass from here to North Korea. 

They’ve been on their own ever since. They collected the things they could take, filled up the car, and left Sid and his riches behind. The sight of his mom crying on the marble floor of their mansion, with Sid standing above her, fists clenched with rage would haunt Johnny forever. Part of him wishes he had killed Sid that night, but that wasn’t something his mom should ever have to witness. 

It wasn’t going to be easy and the life they had both been so comfortable with was no longer an option for them, but Johnny knew this was for the best. The look in his mother’s eye when Sid had tossed her to the ground like she wasn’t even worth his effort wasn’t something he’d ever forget and he hoped to never see that sight again. 

His mom didn’t bother contacting her parents, refusing to ask them for help even if they needed it. Johnny wondered if that’s where his pride had come from. His mom swore she’d do anything to help them, but going to them would be worse than being on their own. All they would do is judge them and that wasn’t what they needed right now.

They didn’t have much money to their names, other than the allowance Johnny would receive from Sid to keep the teenager out of his hair. They had taken that all out of his account, fearful that Sid would wipe them out as a sick act of revenge. Johnny offered it up as payment for their rent and the food they’d need. At first, his mother refuses, insisting they’d be all right but he wanted to do this for them. He didn’t want his mom to have to worry and it would give her enough time to save up. 

They stayed in a motel until his mom could gather her bearings and hatch a plan. She contacted a cousin of hers who had kept in touch with her over the years. The guy was seen as an outcast in the family, just as herself, and was more than willing to help any way he could. He owned apartment complexes that weren’t too expensive and agreed to find her a place. 

They wound up selling his bike because it wasn’t possible to bring it, giving it to Dutch for just a couple hungry bucks. They used the money for gas and a place to stay overnight since they were driving cross country. 

They kept his car, at least for the time being. Johnny wouldn’t have put it past Sid to have it repo’d since he had been the one to buy it for him when he got his license, even if the old man thought it was a shit bucket anyway. They filled the Thunderbird up with as much as they could pack in a single night and hit the road. 

Within days, Johnny’s life had turned upside down and he had no idea when it was going to get any better. 

His mom was chipper about the move, trying to make it out to be some grand adventure they were on like she did when he was just a kid. She had always been very bright and bubbly. People told Johnny that he looked a lot like her. The blond hair and blue eyes, perfect skin. His girlfriend had once told him he was the picture of Adonis, who he later found out was some Greek God. He guessed that made his mother a Goddess as she was twice as beautiful in every way. 

It was her smile that truly linked them together. They both shared the same bright, pearly white smile that could be seen from miles away. 

How she could smile after everything was still a question he had yet to find the answer to. 

Jersey was nothing like California. It wasn’t peaceful or clean, there were no palm trees or beaches. Even if Johnny wasn’t the surfing type that didn’t mean he wasn’t a fan of running in the sand or splashing along the shore. Everything in California was relaxed. You could walk around the pier with a boombox on your shoulder and just enjoy the vibes around you.

New Jersey was busy, dirty all around, and just didn’t smell right. Johnny wasn’t going to complain, knowing they weren’t left with a lot of choices, but he kept his window down as they drove. 

The apartment complex wasn’t much better either. The wallpaper was falling off and the tile on the kitchen floor needed a good scrub. Sid had housekeepers to do all the laundry and the cleaning for them, leaving his mom to do nothing more than go grocery shopping and cook the food. Johnny figured he’d be lending a hand at some point, even if the place was the size of his left shoe. 

His mom set up the radio as soon as they walked in. She had always been a lover of music and wanted the place to be filled with it as they began unloading the bags and boxes. Her cousin was there to greet them and while the two adults talked, Johnny stood on the balcony of the complex and looked over their new living situation. 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 

Johnny turned, no longer wanting to look over the unfilled built-in pool or the smog coming from the city, and went into the bedroom he’d be calling his own. He was lucky enough to have his room even if the place was the size of his closet back at Sid’s. The old man was particular about how he wanted his home to look. Very classic and professional, and that included Johnny’s bedroom. 

He couldn’t have posters on the walls or any half-naked woman calendar like the rest of his friends. He had a shelf with his tournament trophies, which he had of course brought with him. He set them on the nightstand before going to sit on the bed, which was at least big enough for him to settle in on. 

He laid there, eyes closed and imagining the sound of the beach and wondering what his friends were doing at that moment. If they were off terrorizing some Reseda kids or if Dutch had managed to fuck up his bike yet. 

He thought about his ex-girlfriend Ali and how beat up she had been over him leaving. She had suggested saying together, doing the whole long-distance thing, and to be honest, he hadn’t given her much of an answer. He promised to call and talk about it. He had all their numbers saved down in his mom’s phone book and figured he’d call whenever they got settled. 

His mom popped her head into the room yet, checking it over. “I’m sure there’s a record store somewhere nearby. Maybe we could buy you something nice to put on the walls?” She suggested brightly. “Come into the living room for a sec. I wanna tell you something.”

He groaned but did as he was told, offering a polite smile to his mom’s cousin as he leaned against the bare wall across from the couch. 

“So, you already know that Mike was able to secure me a job at the diner across the way, but he was also able to snag you a job too.” 

“As what? A busboy?” 

Mike, who was shorter than him and a little bit thinner, laughed at his words. Johnny didn’t mean it as a joke. Mike looked like the type of guy that worked hard for a living, as his clothes were wrinkled and he had grease stains on his pants. He and his mom looked similar around the eyes, but you’d never know that he and Johnny were related. 

“Your mom told me about your athletic expertise so I got you a job down at the YMCA.” He explained proudly. He had his hand on his hip, practically mirroring the way his mother was standing. He wondered if it was a family trait or something more. “I know one of the managers there. A real good pal of mine. He needed some fresh hands and your mom thought you’d be perfect for the job.” 

Johnny had never had a job before. He never needed one. Before Sid, he was too young and they didn’t live anywhere that needed grass to be mowed or snow to be shoveled. After Sid, he was given an allowance that kept him comfortable. He would sometimes come along to Sid’s place of work, just to show his face, though that died out quickly the more Sid realized he was more brawn than brains. 

Johnny wanted to complain. Wanted to tell the two people standing in front of him that he was too good to be working at some shitty place like the fucking YMCA, that his mother was too good to be working at some 24-hour diner. But that wasn’t an option anymore. 

And his mom was standing there, looking so goddamn hopeful. Didn’t anybody ever tell her that false hope was a harmful thing to hold onto? 

“Sounds great. Can’t wait.” He replied instead, not caring if he didn’t sound completely into the idea. 

His mother squealed with excitement, clapping her hands happily before pulling Johnny in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek, resulting in him having to wipe away her lipstick stain with his thumb. “This will be good. You’ll have something to do, maybe meet some new people. Pocket money always helps to have honey.” 

“I know, mom.” He said, this time giving her a more genuine smile, if not a teeny bit strained. 

Automatically his mom went right into unpacking mode, obviously wanting to get everything done so they’d have time to relax. Mike let himself out, saying he had to check on a few other tenets. Johnny let his attention fall onto the radio, turning the dial to and fro in hopes of finding something worth listening to. 

He groaned when another pop song came on. He had gotten his fill of it in California, back when he would be with his girlfriend and she’d slap his hand away from the radio in the car so she could sing along to whichever pop star or group was rising that current week. 

His mom was equally as eager to listen to the endless synth machines, telling him to keep the song on despite his insistence that it wasn’t even that good. 

“We’re in a new place, Johnny. It’s time to open yourself up to new things.” His mom insisted, giving him a knowing glance before disappearing out of sight to gather up the rest of the boxes from the car. 

“Fucking Bananarama,” Johnny muttered, glaring to the radio before following his mom outside. 

He might not have been one for pop music but at this sometimes the songs could be accurate. 

It’s a cruel summer, indeed. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful response. I am so glad you're all enjoying it. I've never been good at writing canon for any of my fandoms so AU's are usually my way to go. I wasn't too sure if this was even going to sound interesting to anyone, but I'm glad to be proven wrong.

The YMCA wasn’t anything special, at least to Johnny. A place where families could go and work out, where family game nights and group swims would take place. Some local sports teams would settle there and some other activities were offered. Johnny didn’t take a long look at the roister, mostly because he wasn’t there to play, but rather to work. 

The manager was nice enough, mentioning how he and his cousin Mike went way back. He didn’t ask many questions, just wanted to make sure Johnny was serious about the job and would be able to handle this and school when the time came. 

Johnny was going to be a senior, he had hopes for college or at least he did. The chance of getting a full-ride wasn’t looking too hot since his grades were pretty average and it wasn’t like he was involved in anything in the school. He hadn’t even started school yet! It was still summertime around here. 

There was no way his mom was going to be able to pay for college and now without Sid in the picture, it looked like college wouldn’t even be an option anymore. Maybe Jersey had some kind of lower-level local college or maybe he’d just join the air force. Sid had threatened to send him to military school a handful of times, though the only reason he didn’t go through with it was because of his mother. 

She did everything she could go give him a good life and they had never been separated, no fucking way would she allow anyone to send him off before he was at least eighteen. 

His job was pretty easy. Sanitation and locker room clean up. All he had to do was wipe down the sweaty equipment, clean up the damp floor, and keep the towels stocked up in the locker rooms. Wasn’t anything to brag about, but the pay was well. Decent enough. The job also came with a free membership though he wasn’t allowed to try anything while on shift. 

While the idea of spending his summer slaving away for the man didn’t seem ideal, Johnny knew he had nothing else better to do. His choices were to sit around the dinky apartment, watching whatever shitty shows were on cable, or go out and work. 

At least the latter allowed him to have some cash at the end of the day. They also let him bring his walkman with him, allowing Johnny to turn off the world for a little while and focus on the classic rock man’s he worshipped while scrubbing the bathroom tiles. 

He spent his first week just going around from room to room, waiting for the groups to finish up whatever activity they were doing so he could wash it down. Sometimes he’d use a mop and bucket, other times they just gave him a spray bottle and hand towel, depending on what it was he had been cleaning.

Some people ignored him, acting like he wasn’t even in the room or worse, they would treat him like the gum on the bottom of their shoe, tossing their towels his way when he wasn’t expecting it or accidentally kicking his bucket of water over when they were leaving the room. 

Johnny wanted to fight a couple of times, but he knew better than to do anything that would result in him losing this job. He had no excuse other than his temper and he didn’t want his mom to have to deal with another hot-headed man in her life. He just took a deep breath and let it go. 

He thought back to when he used to go to the country club, how he used to ignore the workers there sweeping up the tennis court or mowing the golf grass. Worse had been the kids at the dojo. Anybody who couldn’t hold their own was left to wash the mat at the end of the day. 

Johnny had always given them a hard time. It was what had been expected. They were the losers, the failures. If they couldn’t keep up with him and Kreese then they had to earn their keep. He could think of a handful of times he would accidentally trip one of the unlucky souls or worse, purposely pick a fight with them knowing he would win without any real effort. 

He guessed it was karma. He treated people he deemed lower than him like trash and now he was being treated the same. It was humbling, that much was certain. 

He’d come home after the day of work and fall back onto the couch, thinking of how low he has fallen. Sometimes his mom will be there and other times she’ll already be at work. Neither of them has a set schedule just yet. Sometimes she is morning, other times she is until late at night. 

She hasn’t begun any of the overnights yet, but he made it very clear he’ll be driving her there and picking her up, not wanting her alone on the streets. She’s not too keen on the idea, insisting that she can handle herself and that Johnny should be asleep at six AM when she gets off, but he refused to listen.

Johnny might have been an asshole, but he wasn’t that bad. 

He figured if it was him and his mom against the world they might as well look out for one another. 

It had been a week into moving when he finally found something interesting going on in their town. Going on in the overcrowded YMCA of all places. Johnny never did get around to see all the activities they offered the young kids that went there. Sure, he knew about the family swim classes, meant for people of all ages to splash around in the water. And then there were the general aerobic classes that his mother had thought about joining up for. 

But then he saw it. Turning the corner to go into the next locker room, preparing to dodge any uncovered dick that he passed by, he caught sight of one of the rooms in use. 

There were only seven of them, all standing in a row, repeating the technique the instructor was showing off. 

They weren’t wearing the proper gi’s nor were they doing the proper movements. They were similar, but too janky if Johnny was being too honest though he blamed that on the instructor being just that. He was instructing them how to do them, regardless of whether or not he was doing them right. It was clear the guy was just someone who worked there and not an actual karate Sensei.

Still, despite how unnerving it was to see them fucking up the practice, just being able to watch a session was enough to uplift Johnny, at least to some degree. 

It had been hard leaving Cobra Kai, especially since the dojo had become a home away from home for him. On nights when his pals were busy and he wasn’t in the mood to put up with Sid’s shit, Johnny had found his way to the dojo and Kreese’s side. The man was already up for the challenge and never turned Johnny away, teaching him one-on-one every chance they got. 

It was those nights that allowed him to earn his blackbelt and unbeaten title year after year. He wondered who would win this year. If Tommy, Billy, or Dutch had it in them or if they would mess it all up and disgrace the Cobra Kai name. 

It wasn’t easy saying goodbye to Kreese. He had been the only person he went to say goodbye to. His friends and Ali just called up to explain the situation but before skipping town he dropped by the dojo to tell the man he was leaving. 

Kreese hadn’t been happy about it, insisting that Johnny man up and deal with his problems face on. After all, Cobra didn’t slither away in fear.

He tried to explain the situation, but the man wouldn’t have it. He all but called Johnny a pussy, not giving two shits on whether or not Sid put his hands on his mother or even showing any pride in knowing Johnny used his skills to knock Sid out. 

All Kreese cared about was his number one. 

All the time and effort he used into turning Johnny into that was now wasted and he’d have to find some other poor unfortunate soul to mold like clay. 

Johnny found himself locking eyes with one of the guys in the class and quickly left the hallway so he could get back to work. The last thing he needed after all of this was to be seen as some loser gazing longingly at the karate class. 

Even if it was exactly what it was at this point. 

He carried on with his shift, restocking the towels and tossing the dirty ones that were drenched from the pool and obvious sweat into the hamper, wheeling it into the washroom and then repeating the process. 

He still had about an hour or so into his shift when he had to clean the room that had been used for the karate class. He began mopping up like always, trying his best to ignore the punching standstill sitting in the corner. He had been unused for the class, creating nothing more than an eyesore in the room. 

Johnny poked his head into the hallway, finding it empty. There was no harm in checking it out after all. Besides, he had to clean the room and the stand was in fact, in the room. Perhaps a bit of shine would do it some good. 

He dragged the stand out from the corner, already seeing how much of a piece of shit it was. The thing was as light as can be, making it easy for anyone to hit it and make it wobble. The one in Cobra Kai was heavy as fuck and took two of the guys to bring it into the center. 

Kreese much preferred hand to hand combat as a Cobra was always meant to go up against an opponent, but now and then they’d bust it out for some practice. 

Johnny circled the stand a few times, giving it a couple of punches and jabs, just testing it out. He could hear Kreese’s voice in his head, shouting out different commands here and there. 

“Yes, Sensei!” He called aloud, speaking back to the image in his head. He gave another hard knock, watching as the stand shook slightly. 

Johnny had never been a fan of solo practices as it didn't give him much of a chance to fight. Cobras were meant to strike first and strike hard. But when he had nothing coming at him he felt a bit of a loss, refusing in the voice in his head screaming louder and his pent up aggression coming up to the surface. 

_ Are you a loser, Mr. Lawrence _ ? “No Sensei!”  _ Prove it then _ . “Yes, Sensei!” Johnny jutted forward then, sending a roundhouse kick into the stand, knocking it over and sending it rolling across the floor. 

The room was quiet for a few seconds, with nothing more than the sound of Johnny’s quiet panting echoing around him. 

Until it was no longer quiet and Johnny realized he was no longer alone. 

“Holy shit!” 

Johnny turned, once again catching the eyes of the same guy from before. The one that had been in this very room learning the very same tactic he had just been doing except worse. Johnny, realizing what he had done and fearing that his boss would find out he went against the rules, moved to grab the bucket and mop, clenching it in his fist as he walked out of the room. 

“You didn’t see a damn thing. Understand me?” He muttered sharply, getting directly into the other guy’s face. 

The guy, who seemed to be around his age if not a bit younger, swallowed hard at the words. Johnny was bigger than him, or maybe he was just cowering back at the fear of having the soapy water dumped onto him. He bobbed his head, holding his hands up in defense. 

Johnny didn’t wait around to see if he’d say anything else and got the hell out of there, finishing the rest of his shirt in the far side locker room until he could finally leave the damn place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Larusso has arrived and will be staying a thorn on Johnny's side from every chapter after this point. Please tell me what you thought down below. I'm still currently writing this story with about 3 more chapters before it's finishing, I believe 15 all together. 
> 
> Also, please tell me what you're favorite William Zabka movie is? I recently found out he was in two movies I honestly love: Python and Just One Of The Guys. What else have you seen him in that you enjoyed?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello good readers! I just wanted to point out two things before you proceed.
> 
> You might have noticed that the rating went from T to M. This is due to later on in the fic when the two adorable idiots you will see shorter get their shit together, they are unable to keep their hands off one another. It won't happen for several more chapters, so I believe this story is officially a slow burn? 
> 
> There will also be 15 chapters as I have completed writing it. I will be uploading every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday so look forward to that. 
> 
> Without further due, please enjoy it.

Johnny thought about quitting the YMCA. There had to be other places hiring. Newark was a busy city after all and as the summer was finishing up, the college kids were going back to school, leaving the high school kids to pick up the lost jobs. 

He hadn’t seen the kid since their little run-in but that didn’t mean he still wasn’t hanging around there. He wondered if he had said anything to anyone. None of the other employees mentioned anything and his boss hadn’t brought him into the office over his behavior towards the clients just yet. 

Not that Johnny had been having any other issues. Some of the older people that went there could act a bit snobbish. The grown men who were checking out the teenage girls on the bikes were always the worst. Even Johnny, who appreciated the backside of any lady, wasn't that gross. 

Some of the older women were nice. He had been given a few tips before, but that was only so they could come close and touch him. They liked to pinch his cheeks (face and ass) and caress his biceps. Johnny knew he looked good. It wasn’t some secret that he was trying to hide. Even in the New Jersey summer, the weather got hot and a tank top and shorts were his usual attire. 

He would go shirtless sometimes too, if he was cleaning inside or around the pool or if he had to clean out the showers. Rather than getting his clothes wet from the spray, he would take off his shirt and just salvage his shorts. It was usually warm enough on the ride home for him to cool down anyway. 

Of course, he ended up staying mostly because he didn’t want to explain to his mom the reason for the job change. He didn’t want to prove Sid right and fuck something up so early in the game. Sure, he could use the excuse that he is still adjusting, but Johnny Lawrence wasn’t a quitter. He was better than that. 

Sure, it was just a job but he had his pride on the line. He wasn’t going to quiet a few weeks in and he certainly wasn’t going to get fired over something trivial like going against the rules or scaring one of the kids that went there. 

His plan of action was simple, he didn’t clean up that room. It was pretty easy since there were other people on hand to do exactly what he was doing and he just always made sure to be on the other side of the building. He would clean out the other rooms, even if that meant doing the bathrooms and waiting around to do the girl's locker room.

It was better this way. Less distraction and temptation.

His mom had suggested he search for another karate dojo to go to or even sign up for the classes the YMCA offered, but he refused. The things he had seen in that class, even if it was just for a few moments, were baby steps compared to what he had learned in Cobra Kai. Johnny was insistent that if he went there or even anywhere else he would lose brain cells from the lack of ambition. 

Besides, he didn’t want to use the money from his first paycheck to sign up for some professional classes when he had already learned enough to do it on his own. 

He practiced late at night at the bottom of the empty swimming pool while waiting to pick his mom up from her shift. He disliked being on his own, always preferring to have a true opponent but he took what he could work with and ran with it. Even if that meant punching the air like a dweeb. 

They had been there for about three weeks when his mom had sent him down to the laundromat to do their wash. She had been doing it over the weekends but she switched a couple of shifts and picked up a double in hopes of making some extra cash. Despite having grown comfortable living the life of a housewife, his mom never lost her will to make things work. 

Even on nights when she was exhausted and her feet were killing her, she’d be more than happy to sit down and talk to him about his day. They had been making plans to buy him some stuff for school and she figured if she switched some shifts around they would be able to spend the entire day together. 

Johnny should have acted embarrassed and told his mom he could handle buying his school supplies, but in reality, he liked the idea of spending time with her. She didn’t nag or pester him. She took interest in his interest and showed support in any way she could. Johnny couldn’t even imagine being embarrassed about having his mom around. 

She had written down everything he needed to do, instructing him on what to separate and how much detergent and softener he would need however when he got there he was still at a loss. Sid paid people to do this for them and back when he was just a kid and it was just him and his mom, she had always taken care of this. 

Sure, he’d stick around and help fold the stuff, but he had no idea how to work the machines. 

Johnny stood there, trying to figure out exactly what he had to do, hoping that it didn’t look too obvious that he was utterly oblivious. 

“Need some help there?” A voice asked from behind him. 

He expected it to be one of the laundromat workers or some guy taking pity on him, but instead, it was the same doe-eyed guy from the YMCA. The same one he scared into silence with a harsh glare and pointed finger. He had almost begun to forget about him, having not seen him in almost two weeks, but he was here now.

He had his laundry basket full of clothes beside him and carefully hopped over the bench between them to stand beside Johnny. 

“These things can be kind of tricky.” 

“Stupid thing doesn’t want to work.” Johnny proclaimed, resisting the urge to slam his fist into the washer. 

“Well, you already loaded it so you started strong. Next, you have to put the coins in the machine.” The guy explained, gesturing to the tiny quarter shaped slot. 

Coins. Johnny went into his pocket, pulling out the five-dollar bill his mother had given him. 

The guy smiled and took the money from him, showing him where the exchange machine was. He put it in and after a moment, a buttload of quarters came spinning out. The guy grabbed them all and placed them in a small dish before going back to Johnny’s machine and popping them inside. 

The machine turned on then and before Johnny could press the start button the guy grabbed hold of his hand, stopping it. “You have to put your liquids in first, dummy. Alright, see this?” He gestured to the two flaps on top. 

He explained that one holds detergent, the other holds softener. Johnny filled up both to the fill line and then turned the dial to the level it needed to be on. After that, he was finally able to start the damn thing. 

“You're new around here?” The guy asked. Johnny bobbed his head, going to sit down on the bench. The guy hopped back over when his machine had gone off and began to unload it. “They don’t have washer machines where you’re from?” 

“Had someone else to do it,” Johnny answered. 

“Ah. Makes sense. Our machine broke earlier this week and the handyman hasn’t come around to fix it. Normally my ma would be the one doing this, but she’s busy working so I thought I’d lend a hand.” 

“Didn’t ask,” Johnny replied, going to grab one of the magazines beside him, flipping through it aimlessly. 

“These things normally last like an hour and then you have to dry it. You might want to do two machines at a time, you know. Speed up the process.” 

Johnny sighed, slapping the magazine back down onto the bench, deciding to do just that. It was his day off so he had more than enough time to spend here but he had his wash, his mother’s, her delicates, and then some of the more expensive shit he didn’t want to be done on regular and couldn’t afford to have dry cleaned so he had to do it on his delicate cycle. Having two machines go on at once didn’t sound like too bad of an idea. 

He did this machine on his own, making sure that all the whites were removed before starting it up. The guy was sitting back on the bench, directly next to where Johnny had been sitting. Johnny thought about moving, but the place was filling up so he plopped back down, snatching the magazine up once more and skimming through it. 

“So are you into karate?” The guy asked out of the blue. 

Johnny had wished he brought his walkman with him, choosing to leave it at home so he could stay focused and not get distracted by the music. 

“Cause I have to say, that kick you did was rad, dude.” The guy carried one. 

His accent was thicker than most of the people he had met so far but it wasn’t as if he was going out. The main places he had visited were his mom’s place of work, his own, and then a few fast food places to pick up a cheap dinner for them both in between shifts. 

He was also a hell of a lot tanner than anybody else from around here. Growing up in California, Johnny had always been able to tell the difference between the natural sun and a bottled glow. This kid's complexion was something that the girls on Ali’s cheer squad could only dream of. 

Johnny turned his head, seeing those big brown eyes staring into him as he spoke. He talked quick and loose and if Johnny was being honest, he wasn’t paying much attention to what the guy was even saying. 

“Do you pester every person who comes here?” Johnny asked him bluntly. 

“Nah, just the ones that don’t know how to use the machines.” He replied without skipping a beat. 

Johnny hummed, watching him fold the laundry before placing it into the laundry bags. He wondered if that was something he should do when he was finished. 

“That’s a nicer shiner. Did you get it doing karate or did you get into an actual fight?” He asked him. 

“Something like that,” Johnny muttered. 

Some kid popped their head into then, catching the attention of the guy. Johnny took the chance to finally have a moment to think, watching the spin cycle go around and around as the soapy water splashed around inside. 

The guy tapped him on the arm after a moment and Johnny turned his head to watch him sling the laundry bag over his shoulder. “Hey, I’ll see you around. You should sign up! We need some new people who know what they’re doing.” He mentioned, moving just as quickly as he had been talking. 

“Yeah, not happening,” Johnny spoke, mostly to himself as he watched the guy leave, following the kid that had caught his attention. 

Johnny sighed softly, looking over the clock and once again going back to the magazine where he was lazily reading up on what not to wear. 

When the cycle was finished, he tossed them into the dryer, using what he had learned for the washer and putting that knowledge to use on the dryer so he could start it up. He repeated this again and again until he was complete. He folded up all the clothing before putting it into the hamper and then plopped that into the passenger seat beside him. 

It was an easy drive home and when he got there, he placed his mom’s hamper on her bed and then put his clothes away. By the time he was finished, he was exhausted and wondered how the hell his mom had been able to do all of this, plus work and then take care of him all those years ago. 

He decided to cook for dinner, finding that it had been something he knew how to do having learned from his mother. She wanted him to have an easy life, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to be completely clueless. If Sid didn’t want to spend time with him and bond, then she’d be the one to take on the task. The fatherly figure shit was left for Kreese to deal with but the everyday survival was on the hands of his mother. 

It was nothing special and he had read it from one of the old cookbooks that she decided to take with her. A simple casserole using canned soup and frozen veggies. Oh, how he longed for the sugar cubed ham and authentic sushi. He wondered if the people of New Jersey even knew what an avocado was. 

When his mom was finished with her shift, they sat down and ate. She told him all about her day, the good customers, and the bad. She showed off the tips she had made, which she promptly put into a jar for them to use at a later date. It would be for something special and fun for them to do together. 

It baffled him how she could work from eight am to eight pm and still have a bright and smiling face on. Still interacting with him and asking about his day and making sure he was doing okay. It was one of the main reasons Johnny had yet to complain about how much things had changed. Why he refused to be selfish and wish they were still in California, in that big mansion with Sid by their side. 

She had sacrificed so much for him, it was time for him to do the same for her. 

When the following day came, they went on their shopping trip just as planned. His mom wanted to spoil him a little bit, though he put his foot down. He had more than enough clothing to wear for the impending school year and found that all the stores they could afford to shop at didn’t have anything that caught his eye. 

Half of his closet consisted of Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren, while his mother was still rocking half of the newest Donna Karen collection. “You know, I thought about selling some of my stuff. Not like I need evening gowns anyway.” She mentioned without an ounce of regret in her voice. 

Despite always being the one to drag Sid to the parties and even host a handful of her own, Johnny’s mother rarely felt the need to show off. Her upbringing had been traditional and simple. She wasn’t a wealthy girl who was endlessly spoiled the way some of the girls he knew were. Johnny was fairly sure his mom would look good in just about anything, though he hoped she decided against selling some of the pieces. 

It would have looked too desperate or even an all-time low for them. They weren’t hurting. Not badly anyway. They were poor, but that didn’t mean they had to look it.

They went and grabbed him the usual school supplies, pencils and pens, notebooks, and a new calculator. They found a backpack that wasn’t completely boring and his mom convinced him to let her buy him a new pair of shoes since the ones he had brought with him were the only ones he owned currently. 

They had skipped on the Adidas since the price tag was through the roof and instead bought a generic brand name pair that fit him nicely enough. 

Back when they lived with Sid, Johnny never looked at the price tag. He saw what he wanted and charged it to his step-daddy’s card. Looking back, he wished he had bought more stuff just to piss the old man off. 

When they finished shopping, his mom suggested they go somewhere to eat. Her first suggestion was the dining, mostly because she knew the quality of the food there and thought it would be nice. The other suggestions were places they had yet to try and they were in the middle of picking when he heard the whistling. 

His mom had bent down to put the bags in the back of the car and some passing guys took the chance to get a good look at her ass. Johnny rolled his eyes, automatically turning to block his mother from the group. 

They were older than him, which Johnny couldn’t tell was better or worse for the situation. They looked like guys he used to know in California. The types that were dressed decently and didn’t look like they’d cause trouble, but always did.

“Need any help with that miss?” One of them called out. 

His mom rolled her eyes just as he had done and closed the trunk. “Ignore them, Johnny.” 

“We’ll be more than happy to lend a hand or two.” 

“We’re fine, gentleman.” She called out, placing her hand on Johnny’s shoulder to turn him away. 

Johnny proceeded to walk away and go on the other side of the car, but in the corner of his eye, he caught sight of one of the men moving closer to his mom on the passenger side. Johnny quickly moved around, blocking the path between them. 

“Touch her and you’ll live to regret it.” He swore easily. 

The guy laughed, not intimated in the least, which was rare for Johnny. Back home, due to the cred he had from Cobra Kai and his general build, not many people cared to mess with him. Here he was just a run-of-the-mill kid who didn’t look all that dangerous. 

Well, surprises can happen every day. 

“We’re just messing around. Can’t I admire a pretty lady?” The guy offered, his eyes leaving Johnny’s so cast over to his mom. 

Johnny was ready to tell the guy off or just walk away but the bastard had to go and lick his lips, disgusting him in every possible way. Without a second thought, he pushed the freak back. “Oh yeah. Real class act, man.” Johnny scoffed. 

When the guy stood and went to throw a punch, Johnny blocked it with ease, bringing his knee up into his crotch to get him to double over and then his elbow around to knock directly into the guy’s face. 

It was a smooth move and Johnny was proud of himself for not losing his touch just yet. He thought about picking the guy up and tossing him around a bit to show him he meant business but his attention was pulled away by the sound of his mother’s yell.

“John Robert!” She called out, aghast at his actions. 

She had seen him fight while in practice and at the tournament, but this wasn’t in the ring nor was he playing by the rules. Tossing some prick onto the sidewalk in broad daylight wasn’t exactly an ideal situation so he was quick to close her door and walk around to get into the car. 

“Admire your shiner, prick!” He called out before hopping into the Thunderbird and speeding off. 

“It might not have been self-defense, but it was still defense in general, mom,” Johnny commented as they walked back into the apartment. “Cobra Kai always said the best defense is more defense.” 

She hadn’t been too keen on him kicking the guy's ass in the middle of the busy sidewalk, but he also hadn’t been in favor of someone checking her out so casually and catcalling her like she was a piece of meat. 

“He was just being a jerk, Johnny. Sometimes it’s better to just walk away rather than starting a fight.” 

“I told him to knock it off and he didn’t. He deserved what he got.” 

“If I remember correctly, you told me that you and Dutch had been messing around and acting pretty stupid when you met Ali.” 

Johnny scoffed at her words. When he met Ali it had been at the movie theater and the guys decided to mess with the girls sitting in front of them. The mentality of ‘treat girls like garbage to win them over’ had been shown to him by none other than Sid so he wasn’t surprised when it worked out in his favor. “Yeah well, I was a kid then mom. I was fifteen. Those guys were like thirty.” 

His mom watched him for a moment, shaking her head as a sigh escaped her lips. “When did you start growing up so fast?” 

Johnny smirked then, folding his arms over his chest. “When I knocked your husband out with a martial art move.” He admitted proudly. 

“I don’t want you fighting every single person you disagree with, Johnny. Sometimes walking away is the best point of action.”

“Cobra’s don’t walk away from a fight, mom.” 

“Cobras don’t walk at all, sweetie. They don’t have feet,” she teased. “Besides, I didn’t raise a snake, Johnny. I raised a strapping young man who is more than just the color of his karate belt.”

Johnny wanted to remind her of just how impressive the color hid his belt was and how young he had been when he got it. How rare it was for someone like him, so young and meek, to be given the opportunity. Letting that slip from his fingers would be a crime. 

“Just promise me you won’t use any Cobra Kai methods at school? We have enough going on as it is and I don’t want to be called out to the office because you’re getting into fights.” 

“I’ll do my best, mom.” He wasn’t going to promise such a thing, as he had no idea what this school was going to be like, but he’d sure as hell try if it meant making his mom’s life a little easier. 

“I want you to be more than just your karate, Johnny. This is our chance at a fresh start, to try and wash the palette clean. You have more to offer than just beating someone up.”

Johnny snorted, amused by her words. There was no denying that Johnny got where he was before leaving California because of his skill in the martial arts and having Kreese as a teacher. Sure, he had other hobbies than just Cobra Kai but that was where his loyalties lied at the end of the day. 

“Yes, mom.” He said, just to please her. 

“Thank you. And one other thing. I know you miss the guys but will you please try to make some friends? I hate seeing you lounge around the apartment looking so miserable.” 

Johnny rolled his eyes for the second time that day. He wasn’t miserable, so to say. He missed his friends and his girlfriend. He missed the life they both once had. He had spoken to them a handful of times since they moved out here and while he and Ali hadn’t officially broken up he was sure she’d eventually find someone else to move on with. Two years together meant a lot to him, but hundreds of miles could put a damper on a relationship. 

He tried not to think about all the things he was missing out on, like his senior year at school he ran. Taking the first-place trophy in his final tournament. Checking out ivy league schools that would have all been paid for by Sid. 

This final year would have been smooth sailing for him had Sid just not been a complete and utter fuckhead. 

Still, he wasn’t going to complain. Wasn’t going to make his mom regret a decision that was better for her well being. 

“I’ll try mom.” He promised, accepting the kiss on the cheek and the lipstick stain she left behind as he went to go back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for taking the time to read. If you liked it at all or maybe even hated it, I would truly appreciate some feedback. Even if it's just a few words of praise of disgust! 
> 
> See you Friday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to those returning from chapter 3! I hope you're liking this story so far. I'd added a bit more background detail to try to give this story more depth. Never intended on writing for this couple, but this fic has become very close to my heart. Currently, its 98 pages long on my Google docs, and I'm rewriting and adding more every other day. 
> 
> Without further due, please enjoy the first day of the new school year!

It wasn’t that Johnny was bad at making friends. He had been quite good at it, however, all of the friends he had over the years all had one thing in common: Cobra Kai. Without that factor, Johnny found that he didn’t have much to offer. 

Nobody in his old school went out of their way to be his friend, mostly because of how intimidating he was, both due to his popularity, the fact that he was a black belt and would not hesitate to kick your ass, and probably one of the richest kids in the school. 

Being the new kid wasn’t something he ever had to worry about. When they moved in with Sid, it was the start of middle school. Everybody around him was new so it didn’t phase him in the least. Being the new kid your senior year was a kind of hell he didn’t even want to baffle with. 

While he had promised his mom that he would try to make some friends, Johnny instead went out of his way to interact with as little people as possible. Of course, if anybody spoke to him he’d talk back. He wasn’t trying to get a rep on the very first day. 

He has made a scene upon arrival, showing up in the flashy car he did, wearing designer clothes, and the Cobra Kai jacket he had been given by Kreese following his first-ever win. He wore the shoes his mom had purchased him just to please her, hoping they didn’t contrast too much with his outfit. 

His black eye was healing slower than usual, meaning Sid did a number on him. Johnny hadn’t been around to see the aftermath of him waking up, but he hoped the old bastard was aching in every way possible. Still, if the car and clothes didn’t draw the attention, then the shiner did the trick. 

Some people spoke to him, mostly a handful of pretty girls who liked the idea of a mysterious pretty boy from California. Some guy in a letterman's jacket tried to mess with him though he didn’t give him the chance. He was too on edge and knew if the guy tried to start anything then Johnny would finish it with a kick in the ass. Getting into a fight on the first day of school was in no way ideal so that had to be avoided. 

Johnny hadn’t even thought about where to sit when it came to his lunch period. Back at his old school, he’d sit with Ali and her friends or with Tommy and the others. Sometimes they’d go outside when the weather was nice, though this school didn’t seem to offer that. 

Johnny was about to bag it and go sit in the library when a familiar face caught his eye. He hadn’t seen the guy since they run in at the laundromat and despite looking as baby faced as they come, it didn’t surprise Johnny that they were around the same age. 

The guy noticed him right away and this overly eager smile spread across his face. Seeing no other tables available, Johnny went with the inevitable and moved through the crowded room over to his table. 

“Care to join me?” He asked. Johnny automatically sat down, accepting his defeat. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Daniel. Larusso.” 

“Johnny Lawrence.” He replied, glancing down at his school lunch choices.

“Is that short for Jonathan?” Daniel asked him curiously. 

Johnny sighed, ripping open his milk carton. “It’s long for John.” 

“Not Jonathan?” 

“That’s what I said, isn’t it? Is Daniel short for Danielle?” He asked, shooting a glare across from the table.

“Nah, it’s just Daniel. I was named after the Book of Daniel.” 

“How great for you.” 

“What were you named after?” 

“Not a clue.” 

His mother had named him after Johnny Carson, though Johnny would never openly admit that. Back when she was pregnant with him she would work all day but then be all up night feeling like shit. Constantly puking or having to pee or he would be kicking the hell out of her. She would always watch the Tonight Show and that seemed to relax her.

Normally it is tradition to name your firstborn son after your husband or father, but seeing as Johnny’s dad wanted nothing to do with her and his grandfather wanted nothing to do with him, she decided to go down her path. 

“Welcome to Casa de la High School,” Daniel replied smoothly. “How is your first day going?” 

“Typical,” Johnny replied, picking up his fork and poking at the mac and cheese. He wondered if he would be able to make his lunch at home and save his mom the money of having to pay for this garbage. 

“Did you beat anybody up yet?” Daniel asked him. “I’m gonna guess not. It’s a small school and I feel like if the new kid had gotten into a fight we would have heard about it.” 

Johnny narrowed his eyes from across the table, his appetite dropping lower than it already had. “What makes you think I’d get into a fight?” 

Daniel automatically shook his head, as if to plead the fifth on the entire topic despite being the one to start it. “No reason.” He prompted. 

Johnny stared at him, his blue eyes boring into the tanned boy’s face until he finally broke.

“All right. So I might have seen you outside Kinney Shoes the other day.” He explained. “My backpack broke so I had to buy a new one before school started.” 

Johnny groaned, leaning back on the bench. He figured people would have seen since it was on a busy street but seeing as nobody had said anything and the guy he beat up hadn’t tried to press charges, he figured everybody would have forgotten about it. 

“Before you say anything, I saw what they pricks were saying to your sister and I’m totally on your side. You should have kicked all their asses and not just the main guy.”

“She isn’t my sister. That was my mom.”

Daniel’s eyes widened to an impossible amount. Johnny partly wondered if they would fall out and roll around the table like marbles. “That was your  _ mom _ ? Oh, I would have killed them all.”

“Yeah well, fighting in the middle of the day is kind of frowned upon.” 

“I thought it was badass,” Daniel admitted. “I mean come on! The knee? The elbow? That guy had it coming to him.” 

Johnny found himself smiling. His mom didn’t ground him or anything but she wasn’t happy about the fight even if it had been for her sake. After what happened with Sid, she didn’t want him to go around solving all his problems with his fist, even if that was the easiest way out. 

“How long have you been doing karate?” Daniel asked him after a moment. 

“Six years. I was the youngest black belt in my dojo.” He confessed, thinking back to the day he had gotten that honor. Sid didn’t bother coming to the ceremony, but his mom was there, cheering him on. 

“Do you think you could teach me some stuff?” Daniel asked, but Johnny never got to answer. 

A girl plopped down next to Daniel, smiling eagerly at the sight of the new kid. “Hi, Daniel. Who’s your friend?” 

Daniel stiffened slightly but proceeded to introduce Johnny to the girl who was named Judy. She had dark hair and a plain style compared to some of how the girls in California dressed. Not real makeup or the sprayed out hair, but she was nice looking enough. Johnny offered polite conversation, noticing how closely Judy was sitting next to Daniel and how she would occasionally steal a fry off his plate. 

When lunch ended, Johnny tossed away the remaining food on his plate, hearing Sid bitch about the starving kids in Africa in the back of his mind as he did so. He pulled his backpack over his shoulder and went onto his next string of classes. He didn’t bother stopping at his locker, deciding to keep his books in his car for the time being. 

When school ended he headed into the parking lot, nearly jumping out of his skin when Daniel came out from behind the bike rack and approached him. 

“Hey, Johnny!”

Johnny sighed, turning to face the other boy. “How the hell is it that you move so quietly for someone who doesn’t shut up?” 

“Call it a gift,” Daniel replied easily. “Are you walking home? I have my bike, but I could ride beside you.” Johnny lifted his hand, revealing the car key dangling from his finger. “Which one is yours?” 

Rather than speaking, Johnny walked over to where he parked the Firebird. The moment of silence was enough to know that Daniel was stunned. “This is yours? She’s gorgeous.” 

Johnny smiled as he opened the door, glad to see the guy wasn’t a complete loon. Sid hadn’t been the one to pick out the car for him. When he got his license he had sent him to the dealership and told him to pick out whatever he wanted. He thought it was a kind gesture, something to show Johnny just how proud he was, but the salesman was a client of his and they worked out a good deal. 

Regardless, Johnny picked out his dream car, and until Sid came to pry it away from him, he was going to enjoy it. 

“I was serious, by the way,” Daniel mentioned before Johnny could get in. “About you teaching me some karate moves.” 

“Look, I peeked into your session at the Y,” Johnny admitted. “I don’t know what you’re learning, but it’s not karate.” 

Daniel snorted childishly. “Yes, it is.” 

“No, it’s not,” Johnny told him, turning to get into the driver's seat. “That guy has the basic idea of karate and ran with it.” 

“All right then.” Daniel decided, placing his hand on Johnny’s door so he couldn’t slam it. “Show me what real karate is then.” 

“I didn’t travel cross country to teach some twerp how to get his ass kicked,” Johnny replied to him. 

“I’m not that much smaller than you,” Daniel commented. 

Raising a brow, Johnny got back out of the car. He stepped closer to Daniel, making sure they were on leveled ground to show their body differences. Daniel was shorter than him, with Johnny’s chin at his nose level. Daniel swallowed hard then and Johnny took the step back, looking around casually to make sure nobody was staring. 

“I’ll pay you.” Daniel offered. “I make an allowance. It’s not much, but if it means learning actual karate it will be worth it.” 

“Is somebody giving you a hard time or something?” Johnny asked, wondering if this kid just needed a bodyguard or something. Not that he was offering. He was in no way ready to lay his neck out for some kid he barely knew, payment or not. 

Daniel smiled again, boyishly and carefully. It reminded him of his mom’s smile in a way. He wished he could smile like that again. “Oh no. Nothing like that. I’m actually on the soccer team. I’m not ‘dating the cheerleader’ popular but I’m in people's good graces around here.” 

“Lucky you.” 

“Still, shouldn’t everybody know how to defend themselves?” Daniel suggested. 

Johnny didn’t answer him. He got into the car and backed out, making sure not to hit the weirdo while doing so. He thought about Daniel’s offer for the rest of the day. It wouldn’t be so bad, taking on a student. He may not have the paperwork and everything else one might need, but he was certainly qualified for the position. Wasn’t like he was opening up a dojo after all. He wasn’t going to make his little army of dweebs out in New Jersey and start Cobra Kai Junior. 

It would be one guy who wants to learn how to defend himself. And who better to teach him than someone who has trained to do nothing but that? He went to bed that night thinking it over, wondering if the Larusso kid was just too damn soft for the lessons he could offer him. 

If so, that was his fault, wasn’t it? All Johnny could do is teach him what he knows. Pass on the Cobra Kai lessons the only way he knew how. 

Sure, he might end up quitting karate all together but if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen right? 

And besides, at least now Johnny would have someone to spar with. No more punching the air for practice. He missed the routine, the focus. He missed working out and bettering himself. He went from doing this weekly, biweekly for years on end, to nothing. It left a hole in his heart that he wouldn’t mind filling, even if it’s just a fracture. 

The following day, he didn’t wait around for lunchtime. He found Daniel by his locker, swapping out one book for another when he approached. 

“Ten bucks a week.” He told him right off the bat. It was pennies compared to the tuition for Cobra Kai. The kid was getting off easy. “Three sessions a week. I’ll tell you my work schedule over lunch and we’ll figure out when it is good.” 

Daniel didn’t say anything right away. He just went into that big stupid grin that seemed to spark something inside of Johnny in a way he couldn’t funny describe. “You’re gonna be my karate teacher?” 

Johnny pinched the bridge of his nose, already regretting this decision. “No, dumbass. I’m going to be your Sensei.” Johnny told him, turning to leave just as the warning bell rang above them. 

“I’ll see you at lunch!” Daniel shouted, leaving Johnny wondering what he had gotten himself into. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those telling me how much you like the story thus far. I promise you'll see more of Johnny's mom as well as Daniel's. I hope you are also interested in seeing more of Judy. I'm not very good with coming up with OC's so I stuck with the characters Daniel spoke about prior to moving to California. 
> 
> Please tell me what you thought down below. As writers, we put our hearts and souls into our fics, and without any response, it kind of leaves us with a dry taste in our mouth. 
> 
> See you on Sunday!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never taken karate so everything from this point on will come from watching the film, Cobra Kai, and Google. Just wanted to get that out there.

Johnny has no real idea of what he sighed himself up for. He had seen the new kids that would walk into Cobra Kai with their heads up and eyes bright with excitement. Their ambition and dreams would quickly be squashed by Kreese and sometimes even himself before the first lesson is even over.

Sometimes he wondered if Kreese ever got off from belittling people so often. If he had ever gotten off on the fact that so many kids walked away from an amazing sport because of his teachings. Johnny knew the man wasn’t perfect. He knew his teaching style was rough and the idea to strike first could be seen as dangerous, but it helped him in more ways than one so there was no going back now.

At lunch that day they went over their schedules. Now that school was going on Johnny wasn’t working full shifts, usually doing a six to ten shift where he finished up the final cleaning routes. Daniel didn’t work but he had soccer practice after school until 4. 

After a bit of compromising and down handy work on switching things around, they came up with their first week of lessons. Johnny still didn’t feel one hundred percent. The Larusso kid was just so overeager that he worried it would blow up in his face.

He didn’t intend to crush the kid's dream but if he wanted to be taken seriously then he had to think seriously. Johnny didn’t want the guy running around the school doing kickflips because he watched too much Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and he thought it was neat.

Their first lesson was after school that day. Johnny demanded the money upfront because he didn’t want to lose out on ten bucks if the guy quit after today. They decided to work on the soccer field because practice didn’t start until the second week of school and Johnny felt like the open space would be more comfortable for them both.

Wasn’t as if they had a dojo to go into anyway. Johnny felt strange about using the Y right off the bat and there was no fucking way the kid was coming to his place. He was going to keep the location of his home under lock and key for as long as humanly possible. If he could keep up appearances then maybe he could finish high school staying on top, at least for a little while longer.

Daniel was practically bouncing on his feet when they got settled on the field. The kid was nothing more than a ball of energy. If Kreese was here right now he would make him do push-ups on his knuckles just to break his spirit a bit and put some stress on his soul. 

Johnny wasn’t that cruel. At least not yet anyway. 

“All right, Larusso. Front and center.” Johnny commanded. Daniel hopped over to him, standing as straight and as still as he could. Johnny lifted his hand, holding it out flat. “Make a fist.” He told the other boy.

Johnny watched as Daniel did just that and was surprised to see him making the proper gesture. He wondered how many fights the kid had gotten into, even if he was in everybody’s good graces as he had previously said. 

“Punch my hand.” He requested. 

“Just punch it?”

“I want to see your strength level. Punch like you’d punch a punching bag.” 

Daniel did as he was told, recoiling his arm back and then hitting it forward to punch Johnny’s arm. It was a decent hit but Johnny knew he could do better.

“Again.” He ordered. And then he said it again and again, holding his palm out for Daniel to continue hitting. On the final punch, he grabbed Daniel’s fist holding it tightly in his hand. “You’re focusing too much.”

“Isn’t the point of karate to focus?” Daniel asked him, looking utterly bewildered.

“You have to focus on your opponent's moves or where you think he is going to move. Your moves should already be calculated in your head.” He let go of Daniel’s hand, stepping back from him. “Try to land a punch.” He ordered.

“Where?”

“Where do you think, dummy?”

“Do you want the face? The stomach?” 

“Just come at me, Larusso,” Johnny ordered, growing tired of his questions.

Daniel waited a moment, thinking it over before lunging forward. He went for a simple punch to the face but aimed a little too high. Johnny was quick to sidestep him, grabbing hold of his arm and twisting it behind his back. 

“Your eyes focused on mine for too long. You made it obvious where you were going to strike.” He told the shorter boy. “Strike first. Strike hard. And never let your opponent know your plan.” 

“So what, if I want to give you a fat lip I have to look at the floor?” Daniel scoffed, struggling to break free from Johnny’s hold. 

“If you want to give me a fat lip you’ll have to land a hit,” Johnny replied, pushing Daniel away with ease. 

The shorter male turned back, shouting and lunging towards him for a tackle, but Johnny was quick and knelt, catching Daniel’s stomach with his shoulder. He stood up, flipping the other boy off him and back onto the ground. 

Daniel groaned, his hands going to his stomach as he sprawled out on the grass. “What was that for?” 

“Counterattack,” Johnny replied, circling Daniel like a shark in the water. “The battle cry was a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” 

“Saw it in a movie once,” Daniel admitted weakly. 

Kresse had taught them to release their energy by yelling. Kiai was used to startle your opponent, but Johnny had noticed over time it was more harmless than useful if you released the sound too early. 

Johnny paused, staring down at him from above. He thought about lending him a hand and pulling him up but decided against it. The kid got what was coming to him. No point in helping out someone who got themselves into a mess. 

“This isn’t a movie, Larusso. If you alert your opponent then you’re giving them the chance to react. Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.” 

Daniel whined as he pushed himself up, dusting the dirt off his sweatshirt. Johnny went back to circling him, watching as Daniel turned his head here and there to try and keep the eye contact. 

“Cobras are one of the most venomous snakes on the planet. They’re fast and clever. They study their prey before the attack. If they think it’s going to run, they go for the legs. If they think it will hide, they block every exit. Are you prey, Larusso?” 

“Is that a rhetorical question?” 

Johnny paused his movements, fighting the urge to just lay the little dweeb out on the grass and leave him there. He was fast and had a decent amount of strength to him, but it was obvious all he wanted to do was get a few jabs in. The guy would have been better off doing boxing or even wrestling. Karate took too much control of the mind and Johnny seriously doubted that Daniel would be able to handle such a feat. 

“Lemme see how many pushups you can do.” He decided instead, waiting until Daniel was down before adding. “Knuckles only.”

Daniel turned his head to glare at Johnny before getting up onto his knuckles and beginning his pushup. Johnny continued to circle him, stopping now and then to put his foot onto the small of Daniel’s back to add some pressure and weight. 

Daniel counted aloud though Johnny didn’t pay much attention to it. Only after he fell face-first into the grass for the third time did he finally tell him it was enough.

“Geez. I’ll be sore tomorrow.” Daniel commented, stretching his arms out above his head. 

Johnny watched him, his eyes lingering on the space between his jeans shirt that had been revealed by the movements. He flicked his eyes back up to Daniel’s, the other boy’s expression as innocent as ever. 

Johnny wondered what he would have to do to wipe that doe-eyed look in his eyes. He was sure Kreese would be able to do it in a matter of moments. He had always been very good at a soul-crushing.

“No pain, no gain Larusso.” Johnny shrugged. “That’s enough for today. We’ll meet up again Thursday.” 

“Same place?” 

“You got any other ideas?” Johnny questioned, turning to walk back to the parking lot when Daniel didn’t answer. 

“Is there anything you want me to practice at home?” Daniel called after him. 

“Yeah. Learn to concentrate. And throw a proper punch.” Johnny answered, not looking back as he got into his car and pulled away from the school. 

His mom was home when he got there, finishing up some housework before she had to head into work. He told her about his day, including his lesson with Daniel. He didn’t tell her about the payment part, not wanting her to think he was taking advantage of the poor kid. 

If anything, Daniel was taking advantage of Johnny. He was a blackbelt, practically professional. And now for scraps, he was teaching him how to defend himself and how to keep focus during a fight. Johnny was prepared to teach the kid things he would never learn on some YMCA activity chart. 

It was a little white lie that made his mom happy. She thought he was finding his bearings and beginning to make some friends. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her otherwise. Daniel Larusso might not be his friend, but he was sure the type of person his mom would love to see Johnny hanging around. 

A cookie-cutter angel who thinks karate is just something fun to do on the weekends. A few punches and kicks here and there. No had no idea what the practice was even really like. 

Johnny dropped his mom off at the diner, returning to his room to enjoy the rest of his night before he had to pick her up. Flipping through the select few cassettes he had left to his name, he plopped one into his Walkman, flipping on his headphones so he could lay back and enjoy the sweet sounds of Van Halen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I must admit, out of all the chapters this is probably my least favorite. There wasn't much I could add to it as it was just the introduction to their lessons. Hopefully, you all liked it. Please tell me down below! I have a thirst that can only be quenched by comments! 
> 
> Until Wednesday.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no real introduction for this chapter. More bonding! This time with music!

If Johnny had been completely honest, he would have thought the Larusso kid would have given up after the first week. He wasn’t excessively hard on him. Hell, his lessons were preschool level compared to the hell that Kreese had put him through. But Johnny also knew he was pushing the kid a bit hard just to bust his chops. 

After all, Daniel was just so damn excited about the aspects of learning karate, the blond felt the need to bring the guy down a few pegs and force him into the reality that karate wasn’t something you did for the fun of it. It was a way of life. A martial art that saved lives. You had to be one hundred and ten percent into it. Cobra Kai didn’t allow for weakness and neither did Johnny. 

He expected Daniel to walk away after the final lesson of the week. It was the hardest of them all and Johnny would have been lying if he said he wasn’t a bit rough on him. He watched as Daniel did his footwork, seeing just how fast he could go. He explained that you never wanted to remain in one single place. Always keep the other person guessing as to what you were going to do and never give them a chance to attack first. 

He grabbed Daniel by the back of the shirt and slammed him onto the ground below, knocking the wind out of him in the process. It was all just to catch him off guard, but he was fairly certain he scared the life out of him. “If you lose concentration during a fight, you’re dead meat. Understand me, Larusso?” He practically shouted in the kid's face. 

Daniel offered a warbly reply, scrambling to stand and get back to his footwork. 

Johnny didn’t make Daniel address him as Sensei; he still didn’t feel right using the term that had yet to truly be earned. He was a great fighter, but he wasn’t a true teacher just yet. 

In reality, Daniel was a quick study. Once he pulled his head from his ass and put actual effort into learning the moves Johnny was showing him, he proved himself to be a worthy student. Sure, he wanted to do the gimmick shit like break a board with his hand and wear the hachimaki. 

Johnny hadn’t brought him when they left, knowing he didn’t have the space to bring everything back so his Cobra Kai things had to be left behind. 

Kreese had given him a few bands over the years, though the one he was still wearing had been given to him by Ali on their first Valentine’s Day together. She wasn’t super thrilled about having a karate boyfriend. She tried to get him to try out for football or soccer so she could cheer him on during the games, but that wasn’t where his heart laid. 

Still, she wanted to be supportive so she bought him the headband and the rest was history. 

They had been trying to make it work since he left California, but as the days went on the calls became less frequent. He didn’t blame her. She was popular and had a social life. The cheer squad had practice and she had to study for exams and get ready to look at schools. Johnny might have been the catch of the school, but there were some decent looking guys in their town. 

So when he had gotten off of work one night and was sitting on the couch, catching some shitty TV show while on the phone with Bobby, he wasn’t all too surprised when his friend confessed that Ali had moved on and found somebody new. 

He wasn’t angry at her, especially since he hadn’t been putting the effort into the long-distance relationship. He found it rather pointless. Not like they could do anything anyway. Ali barely wanted to fool around when they were in the same room, getting her to talk dirty over the phone was like pulling teeth. 

Still, knowing that she had been able to move on as quickly as she had pestered Johnny and made him wonder if he should try to do the same. He wasn’t looking for anything special but having someone pretty on his arm wouldn’t hurt. 

The girls in his new school weren’t ugly, not in the least, if not a bit plain but if they would just be around for the year until he figured out where he was going to go once he graduated, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to be a bit more social. 

Johnny sat on the bleachers after school one day, watching the cheerleaders do their routine. There was a soccer game coming up and it appeared that the girls would be there to cheer on the team. Johnny was off from work and didn’t have to be home until five to take his mom to work so he took the chance to listen to some music and watch the girls bounce around. 

They didn’t have the skimpy cheer uniform as they did in California, choosing to go with leggings and sweaters on account of the mid-September weather. Johnny had been accustomed to the warmer temperatures and had yet to experience the real east coast cold. 

Johnny was still watching when the practice was finished, lost in his little world has Metallica played from his headphones. He jumped when the music was removed, turning to see Daniel holding the handphones he had just snatched triumphantly in his hands. 

“Can’t lose focus, Sensei Lawrence.” He mocked, going to plop down on the bleachers beside him. He turned his head, rolling his eyes as he followed Johnny’s gaze. “Gee. And here I thought you were hanging around to see me.” 

“Har har,” Johnny replied, snatching the headphones from him and placing them around his neck for safekeeping. 

“I could introduce you, you know.” Daniel offered. “After the game, we usually hang out on the field, maybe grab some food. You could join us.” 

“Tonight?” He ventured. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do. He could hang out at home, grab some dinner for himself, and then go to the game. He used to play soccer back in California so he liked the sport well enough to pay attention to it. And then afterward he could linger with the player and make himself known to the cheerleaders. “Yeah. All right.” 

“Yeah?” Daniel asked that big, goofy smile back on his face. “Right on. The game starts at six. I’ll be the one in the jersey.”

“All the players are wearing jerseys,” Johnny replied dryly. 

“Yeah, but I’ll be the only one wearing the number 84.” He bragged, jumping off the bleachers and onto the grass below. “I better head out. Ma likes me to wash up before the games, even if I’m just gonna get dirty again. I’ll see you tonight!” 

Johnny watched him hurry off, lingering for just a moment before heading out himself. He took his mom to work as planned and made himself something to eat. He changed his outfit into something a little more comfortable, still sticking with his red Cobra Kai jacket because he liked the way it looked on him. 

He found a place on the bleachers, sitting beside a couple of parents and teachers as the game began. His eyes found jersey number 84 relatively quickly and Daniel was quick to notice him back, offering him a smirk when their eyes met. 

Despite being a showoff when it came to karate, Daniel was a natural on the soccer field. He moved his legs quickly and weaved the ball in between the players' legs before they could even react to it. It had become very clear in a short time during the game that Daniel’s strong points were his legs and feet. If only Johnny could work that out to his advantage during their lessons. 

Johnny could check out the cheerleaders now and then though his eyes were mostly focused on the game and Daniel. He was curious to see the outturn and cheered them on when they made the winning goal. 

When the game ended and the crowd began to disburse, Johnny hung back, waiting until there were only a few people left before making it onto the field and over to Daniel. He had proven himself correct by saying he’d get dirty all over again. His jersey was smeared with grass and grim and his cheeks were bruised from a few falls he had taken.

Still, he’s smiling like a buffoon and only seems to brighten when he notices Johnny coming near. “What did you think? Not too shabby, huh?” 

“Who knew you could be good at something?” Johnny teased, looking the other boy over. 

A girl who Johnny had met prior, blanking on her name until it finally popped into his head made her way over. She wasn’t one of the cheerleaders, but she seemed just as eager to be around the two. “Hi, Johnny. Great game, Daniel.”

“Thanks, Judy.” 

“Do you play any sports, Johnny?” She asked curiously. 

Johnny thought about telling her about Karate. About all the trophies he had won and tournaments he had destroyed due to his natural talent for the martial arts but found that he didn’t want that to be his selling point. 

His mom had wanted him to make friends outside of karate and no longer allow that to be the only thing he had going for him. Truth was, Johnny didn’t know much about himself outside of karate. Without that, he was just an average guy with nothing to do. 

“No. I’m more of a bystander. You know, audience member.” 

“Hey, we can always use more people shouting my name,” Daniel stated, prompting Judy to roll her eyes. 

“And you coming to Tops with us?” She asked. Johnny didn’t know whether he was asking him or Daniel. 

“Tops?” 

“It’s a diner along Main street. Nothing special but they’re open late and they got good fries.” Daniel explained. 

Johnny went white just thinking about it. He wasn’t ashamed of his mother in any sense of the word, but even before they moved to the east coast, he didn’t hang around his mom when his friends were over. It wasn’t an embarrassment issue, not really. He could care less if he knew where his mother worked, but if anyone caught wind of him living in the shitty complex across the way he was certain he’d leap right off a fucking cliff. 

Suddenly the idea of hanging out with the soccer kids and lingering with the cheerleaders didn’t matter anymore. What was the point of having someone pretty on his arm when he couldn’t bring them home? What, was he going to woo a girl over with his nice car and designer clothes and then take her to his tiny apartment and even smaller bedroom? 

Not happening. 

“I’m not hungry. I think I’m gonna head out actually.” 

“You sure?” Daniel questioned. “We’re all going. Cheerleaders too.” He mentioned as if the possibility of being around the girls would make him change his mind. 

That had been the whole point in going, right? To meet the popular girls and flirt a little. To find a new piece of arm candy so he could survive the school year? Johnny was caught between a rock and a hard place. Risk revealing his living locations and his mother’s place of work just for the chance of possibly getting a girlfriend or turning away and forget he even bothered coming. 

To his surprise, he went with the latter. 

“Maybe another time.” He replied, turning on his heel to go back to the parking lot.

Johnny had never been on for weakness but it seemed without Cobra Kai on his side he was quickly falling back into the rut he had been in during his childhood. A poor little nobody with no friends and not fascinating attributes to offer anyone around him. His good style and looks could only get him so far. If he didn’t come up with a plan soon, Johnny feared he’d turn into a nobody just like all the losers who quit Cobra Kai on the very first day. 

Johnny went back to his car, prepared to drive around for a while and clear his head when he heard Daniel calling his name.

“Are you busy?” 

“What?” 

“I thought maybe we could hang out.” He stated with a shrug. “You know, go back to my place. I could show you my record collection.” 

Johnny narrowed his eyes, confused by the offer. “Go hang out with your soccer buddies.” 

“It’s kind of getting pretty repetitive. I mean, one man can only eat so many french fries and score so many goals.” 

Johnny wondered if Daniel was bullshitting him. If he saw through Johnny’s careless attitude and saw how pathetic he was so he was dropping everything to take pity on him. Johnny Lawrence wasn’t somebody who wanted pity. He wanted to be wanted, plain and simple. 

“Where do you live?” 

Turns out the Larusso’s lived in a pretty decent house. A simple ranch with a big enough hard both front and back. Daniel’s mom had to work so she dropped him off for the game and he had planned on walking back, so Johnny drove them both back to his place. The house was clean with a few things lying around, mostly all Daniel’s. He had extra soccer balls in the corner and comic books on the table. Sweatshirts just tossed over the back of the couch. 

Johnny followed him to his bedroom, checking it out the moment he flipped on the light. His bedroom was everything a teenage boy should be. There were posters from bands and movies along the walls, a dirty hamper filled with clothes tucked into the corner. There was no Sports Illustrated calendar on the wall, though Johnny didn’t care much. His eyes automatically went to the record, cassette, and CD collection sitting on Daniel’s desk.

“Now, some of the older ones belonged to my dad. He gave them to me when I was just starting, you know? I bought a lot of these second hand with my allowance, but they still play pretty well.” 

The collection was pretty decent, give or take for a few pop albums. Johnny had only been able to take a handful of cassettes for his walkman when they skipped down and he didn’t even bother with any of his cd’s or records. Those were all history now and he wouldn’t have been surprised if Sid broke them all in retaliation. 

Bruce Springsteen seemed to be the main man for this Jersey boy and Johnny didn’t bitch too much when Daniel put on record after record in hopes of winning him over. He still much preferred the real rock and roll bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, but he found that he could at least have a back and forth with Daniel on certain bands. 

Both agreed that while the Beatles were an iconic band, talking about them just made you sound like a pretentious prick. R.E.M was pretty underrated and Queen was on a different level than Johnny wasn’t even going to discuss. The band was sick and anybody who refused to check them out was musical morons. 

They had still been going back and forth when Daniel’s mom came home from work. He hadn’t been properly introduced just yet so he offered his hand, knowing his mother would ring his ear if he wasn’t polite to Mrs. Larusso in her own home. 

“Ah, so you’re the karate kid.” She claimed after hearing his hand. Daniel and his mom shared a glance and the other boy’s cheek turned scarlet. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Daniel, wash your face if you have a guest over.”

“Johnny doesn’t care if my face is dirty, ma. It was from the game.” 

“Then wash your face for me, all right?” 

Daniel groaned annoyingly but pushed himself out of the room, presumably to go into the bathroom so he could wash his face off. 

“If you need anything, just let me know.” Mrs. Larusso told him before leaving as well. 

Johnny took the alone time to check out Daniel’s room further. There was a picture of him and his parents that seemed to be from a long time ago. A baby faced Daniel with his mom and dad standing behind him. A soccer trophy from the following year and a few more comic books all laying along with his desk. 

Johnny didn’t think he and Daniel would have been friends had the other boy come to California. Perhaps if he had given up on soccer and joined Cobra Kai they would have interacted more, but it was easy to see just by looking at the room that their personalities would have clashed too much.

Or at least the personality that Johnny had grown into having. The “pretty boy with a rich (step) daddy” attitude had become his staple and only after losing everything did Johnny finally begin to dig deep. Daniel and he may not have been friends, but only because he was sure Daniel wouldn’t have wanted to be his friend in the first place rather the other way around. 

When Daniel returned, his face was clean, except for the few faint bruises that remained. He hopped back onto the bed, already dropping back into their previous conversation. 

“I think I’m gonna head out,” Johnny told him, standing to his feet. 

It was getting late and now that Daniel’s mom was home he didn’t want to invade their space. His mom would be getting off at twelve, so he wanted to be around to pick her up. It was barely even ten now, but he didn’t want to leave the Larusso house in the middle of the night. 

“Oh. Alright. Yeah.” Daniel stood, prepared to walk Johnny to the door. “Sorry, it didn’t work out tonight. Maybe next time we could join the others. I could introduce you to the girls? Judy’s friends talk a lot but they can be pretty cute when they’re quiet.” 

Johnny hadn’t thought about the cheerleaders and his desire for a girlfriend since he arrived at the Larusso household. He was so focused on Daniel that the need for a significant other was no longer on his mind. 

“It’s fine. I’ll see you at school, all right?” 

Daniel walked Johnny to the door, wishing him a good night as he left. When he got home and began to unwind, he thought about how he had never been that engaged with any of his other friends. He wondered if it had something to do with just how different Daniel really was or maybe something else.

He didn’t question it too hard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sincerely grateful for all the lovely comments I have been receiving for this story. Honestly, it means the world to me. I had previously written for a different fandom and the interaction was so low, it just felt pointless. Now, I don't want to say fanfic writers write for the attention, but when you put the time and effort in, it's nice to get some feedback. So for that, I thank you all. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm writing to make their conversations seem as natural as possible, even in an alternate universe. 
> 
> See you Friday.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Johnny learns real quick that secrets can't be held forever.

Johnny had decided to take what he saw on the soccer field and use it for Daniel’s advantage. He could throw a punch well enough, but his strong suit was his legs and feet. Kicking was a major PowerPoint in karate and so long as he could use his arms to block and his body to dodge any hit coming his way, he’d be able to take on just about anybody. 

First, they tested out how high Daniel could even kick. He could get up to about Johnny’s chest which wasn’t terrible but he knew it could be better. He could kick higher and faster given the proper practice and techniques. Johnny wasn’t much a kicker himself, but he knew how to train his body properly following Kreese for so many years. 

The man didn’t allow any weaknesses in his dojo so they didn’t focus on one single strength. Looking back, Johnny saw how detrimental that had been, allowing him to miss out on the golden opportunity that was excelling in the part that he was best at, instead of making him into a machine that was pushed too far over the limit. 

They had begun to get a little creative, with Johnny deciding to string soda bottles he had nicked from the garbage on the football goal post, with the adjective being that Daniel had to be able to kick them all down. Some were a little bit lower, around waist length while others were a bit higher up.

Johnny had taken down two just to show him how it was done. He did a more simple kick, just to make it look doable before lunging into a butterfly kick just to show off. The look on Daniel’s face wouldn’t be one he’d forget easily and he stepped away to give the guy some space. 

Johnny stood back and watched as Daniel struggled to hit them all. Some he was able to break on the spot while others he would just and they’d spin around and around. The point was to break them all and after a few hours or so of trying it, he was finally able to get them all into pieces. 

Pieces they of course cleaned up because the last thing Johnny needed was to get suspected of breaking soda bottles and leaving the shards of glass on the football field. 

He had also given Daniel some practice ideas to do at home, like seeing how many times he could keep the soccer ball up while kicking it between his two feet. This was something he had seen the dark-haired boy do during soccer practice, bouncing it on his knee or his head, but he wanted the other boy to work on his foot technique and strengthen his ankles. 

After the bottle practice, they moved onto more advanced and practical practices. Daniel had convinced him to use the YMCA after his shift had ended and while the punching stand wasn’t ideal, it would at least give him something to kick at. 

He had shown him some basic kicks; roundhouse, front, sweep. Daniel took them all with stride, having gone to the library at the school to pick up a couple of books on the subject. He found one book written by a guy from Okinawa who seemed to use more mental methods than merely physical ones. Johnny had done the same thing back when he was a freshman though Kreese had been quick to slap them out of his hand the moment he brought them in to show off. 

Books and words could only teach you so much, when it came to Karate, you had to have the experience to fully understand it. 

Daniel was going on and on about it during their stretches. He worked out for soccer and being the little energizer bunny that he was, Daniel remained pretty fit. He had some real muscle to him and Johnny had tried to insist that he show that off more. He tended to wear multiple layers that buried his true form, keeping him from eyesight.

“A dweeb in a hoodie is always going to be an easy target. A badass with hard muscles isn’t someone to mess with.” He had explained at the time. 

They had been at the laundromat together, deciding to make a bit of a thing for them. They’d hang out, trade cassettes as they sat and waited for their clothes to finish. He had been trying to get the kid to listen to some new stuff, all while Daniel was trying to push this bullshit narrative on him that pop music wasn’t as shitty and overplayed as the radio made it out to be. 

He liked Daniel a lot but if he pushed ABBA onto him one more time he was fairly sure he would shove him into the washer machine, set on high.

Luckily for him, they both had a passion for R.E.O Speedwagon, making the music choice for most of their sessions pretty agreeable. 

Johnny had been going through some of his clothes, deciding to toss away some of the things he no longer cared for wearing. He let Daniel pick through them, figuring someone might as well reap the benefits. His mouth formed a thin line as Daniel raved about all the different designers he had, mentioning how Judy would drop dead if he saw her in half the shit. 

That was three weeks ago. Now they were at the Y, stretching out before their latest session. They were standing impossibly, with Johnny holding up Daniel’s leg completely standing straight split. He had to get used to the posture if he wanted to be able to complete half of the kicks they would be performing. 

Daniel was wearing one of the shirts he had given him. It was nothing special and Johnny had destroyed it by cutting the sleeves off to make it into a tank top, but it fit his body well enough, though Johnny tried not to stare too much at his exposed skin and muscles.

“So my ma, she’s really popular around town right? She has tea and all that girly crap with some of the ladies in the neighborhood. One time I caught her playing gin rummy with our next-door neighbors. Instead of cash, they were trading coupons.” 

“Sounds riveting.” Johnny replied, pressing a bit harder and turning Daniel’s foot so it was pointed straight up. Daniel released a groan that sent a shiver down Johnny’s back though he ignored it and pressed forward.

“Well, she and her friends have been going out and now she’s made a new friend and we’re going to her place for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Maybe she’s finally putting you up for adoption.” Johnny mentioned. “Leg straight, eyes on mine Larusso. Keep eye contact or else you’re going to lose focus.” 

Daniel lowered his eyes to Johnny’s, pausing before he continued. “And apparently she’s got a kid.” 

“Are you babysitting?”

“Apparently they’re around my age.”

“So they’re babysitting you.” He teased. “Maybe she’ll be pretty? At least you’ll have something nice to look at while you eat. Shame I can’t say the same for her.” 

“Are you saying I’m not pretty?” Daniel asked bluntly. Johnny couldn’t tell whether his tone was teasing or not. The blond merely rolled his eyes, refusing to answer the question. “Awe, come on Lawrence, you can tell me the truth. I can handle it.” 

“Fuck off,” Johnny replied, squeezing his leg tightly to keep him from bending his knee. 

“Oh, come on, Johnny doesn’t leave me hanging!” Daniel laughed, pulling his leg from Johnny’s grasp. He twisted it around, accidentally knocking Johnny off balance. 

They fell together on the mat, with Johnny landing hard on top of Daniel. 

“Dick!” Daniel cried out, huffing in a strange laugh-cry. 

“Did I hit your dick or are you calling me one?” Johnny asked, moving into a pushup position. 

“Both!” Daniel replied, moving quickly so he could roll them over. Johnny laid beneath him, his blue eyes bright as he stared up at Daniel, who was smiling triumphantly. “Cobra Kai, baby! Strike when it isn’t expected.” 

“That’s not the catchphrase, dumbass.” 

Daniel leaned over him then, holding his hands against Johnny’s biceps to keep him pinned. “Come on, Johnny. You can say it. I’m cute.” 

Johnny didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. Saying Daniel Larusso was attractive was an understatement. He had been gifted with a baby face mixed with a sharp jawline, big brown eyes, and a winning smile. Johnny had been used to being called a pretty boy thanks to his own lovely features but next to him, Daniel was a beauty.

Of course, that wasn’t something Johnny could just say out loud. Especially not in some tiny room inside the local YMCA. 

Then again, Johnny had never been one to walk away from a challenge. At least not one he could actually win at. 

So he retaliated, flipping them over so he was straddling Daniel, pinning the other boy to the mat. “You got a face only a mother could love.” He replied. 

“Oh, you know I love it when you talk dirty.” Daniel replied heavily. 

“I could punch you right now and I’d be doing you a favor.” 

“Oh, tell me how you really feel.” Daniel laughed, unfazed by Johnny’s faux mocking. 

Johnny wondered what Daniel would do if he said how he truly felt. If he told him that despite being called gorgeous his entire life he couldn’t hold a candle to Daniel? That he would sometimes wonder if Daniel had ever had a girlfriend before if he had been touched or kissed. That these were the thoughts that plagued him at night though he was only realizing just how unique and odd they were. 

He didn’t wonder this shit about his other friends. He didn’t glance over to Dutch talking to one of Ali’s friends and wonder if he had ever gone all the way before. He never thought any of his friends were attractive. 

This hyper jersey kid with comic book dreams had come into his life and completely flipped it upside down and Johnny still didn’t know how to process it all. 

So instead of admitting to that and allowing himself to show a bit of weakness, he got up off Daniel and picked up his stuff, leaving Daniel there on the floor. 

“Until next time, Larusso.” He called over his shoulder. 

He had felt like a dick for just walking away but there was no fucking way he’d allow himself to get into that kind of headspace, not at least until he had time to think over it and actually beagle to fathom the words properly. 

The following day he had gone out for a run, hoping to clear his mind up. He called up Bobby and chatted with him, getting to the lowdown on everything he was missing out. Dutch was now Kreese’s favorite student, which wasn’t much of a surprise since they had been so close while at the dojo. 

In some ways, it made sense as Dutch always seemed to be a bit more sadistic than Johnny. At the end of the day, he would try to convince himself that any form of bullying was done for a reason while Dutch just liked the idea of making other people feel pain. 

He wished Bobby luck, hoping he and the others were holding up well enough. He didn’t bother asking about Ali, figuring she was better off with her new boyfriend. 

When he got off the phone, he found his mom rushing around like a crazy person, trying to clean up as much as possible. She was rambling on about having people over for dinner and forgetting to tell Johnny about it because she was so scatterbrained and their schedules haven’t linked up quite as nicely since September ended. 

Johnny didn’t know why she was trying to impress the people since their little apartment barely even fit them. Still, he went and got redressed, putting on the same attire he would have if they were going to the country club and combing his hair in the way his mom liked him too. 

When his mom called him back into the living room, he took one final glance in the mirror, winking at his reflection before heading out. 

Johnny took three steps before freezing, his eyes widening as they locked onto those big doe eyes that have haunted him for weeks on end now. He really should have been more receptive to this, especially since Daniel had only told him yesterday that his own mom was taking him to someone’s place for dinner. 

What a small fucking world indeed. 

“Sweetie, this is Lucille and her son Daniel. Lucille, this is my son John.” 

“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise?” Lucille said, her smile just as bright and welcoming as it had been the last time he was over the Larusso house. “Laura, I didn’t know Johnny was your son.” 

“Do you two know each other?” His mom asked, looking between the two boys. 

“Johnny’s been teaching my boy karate for the past few weeks. Danny’s really been improving from what I’ve heard.” 

“This is the boy you’ve been hurrying out to see?” His mom asked. 

Johnny was sure his face was beet red at this point. He wasn’t hurrying out to see Daniel. Sometimes he’d be running late or he just wanted to get there early. There was no reason to make it seem like he was rushing to see the guy. 

“Why don’t you take Danny to your room while we set up, huh?” His mom offered, nudging Johnny’s shoulder gently. 

“Better yet, why don’t you head outside? Get some fresh air. This will be finished soon.” Lucille mentioned, shoving Daniel towards Johnny. 

The two boys stood together before Johnny finally made the first move, pushing passed him so they could walk out the apartment door, down the balcony, and out the gate so they could sit beside the empty pool. 

Johnny didn’t say anything, instead of counting to ten repeatedly in his head. It’s what he had done to calm himself down. He would count and count until his mind was so focused on the numbers, all the aggression had slithered away. 

“Had I known it was you I would have brought over my Ramone’s album.” Daniel mentioned casually. 

“Just say it.” Johnny ordered, still not looking at the other boy. “Say what you’re thinking. That I’m some kind of fraud.” 

“Why would I think that?” 

“The nice car, the expensive clothes. I put on this act like I’m still living in the Hills yet low and behold my mom and I are shacked up in some broken down complex.”

“It’s not that big of a real, Johnny.” Daniel swore. “You don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed. I mean hell, the only reason why we’re still living in my house is that my dad paid off the mortgage before he died.”

“I used to live in a mansion.” Johnny admitted. “Right on the water. It was gorgeous.” 

He had told Daniel bits and pieces as to why he and his mom had left California. The shitty stepdad that went way too far and now they’re living on their own. Daniel never pressed for more but always listened when Johnny allowed himself to open up a bit.

Johnny had been taught that feelings were weak. You could be happy and prideful but the moment you allowed yourself to feel sad or unhappy or dare say even cry, that was when you had failed yourself. 

“Kind of like Annabel Lee, huh? Living in a kingdom by the sea?”

“Who?”

Daniel smirked then, small and gentle. “You don’t read much do you?”

Johnny rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to stand up and walk back into the apartment. Or maybe he just gets in his car and leaves. 

“You have nothing to be ashamed of.” Daniel repeated, reaching out to touch Johnny’s arm gently. “It’s out of your control. It could always be worse, right?” 

“I must sound like a real jackass.” Johnny admitted, sniffling as he tilted his head back, viciously blinking away any possible oncoming tears. “Willing to put up with the bullshit to have nice things.” 

Sid never had a nice thing to say about him but he was more than happy to put up with the bastard if it meant having everything he did. He never thought twice about it. The truth was Johnny never knew there was an alternative to it. Be rich and put up with the bullshit or be poor and put up with a whole different type of bullshit.

“You’re human. Can’t blame you for it.” 

“She’s happier now. Can you believe that? No more country clubs, no more fancy restaurants. She works as a waitress in a dive and she’s happy as can be.”

“She has you. Of course, she’s happy.” 

Johnny turned his head, glancing over to Daniel. He was still touching his arm and even though there was no water in the pool, the lights from around the yard were enough to keep his face brightened. He had also dressed up for the night, putting on what seemed to be an ironed shirt and a new pair of jeans. 

“Hang on a sec,” Daniel pushed himself to stand, disappearing beyond the gate. When he returned, he had his soccer ball in hand. “How about we play a bit til dinners ready?”

“Do you bring that thing with you everywhere?” 

“Always gotta keep a backup on hand, baby.” 

Daniel smiled brightly, going to climb down into the empty pool. Johnny sighed, knowing they didn’t have any other options. So he followed in suit, going down into the empty concrete pool so he and Daniel could kick the ball around. It was kind of fun, both trying to keep it from the other. Seeing the soccer ball roll along the curved wall. It would have been nice to have had an open pool to swim in but this wasn’t the worst option. 

When their names were called, the boys turned so they could hurry out and back into the apartment. Daniel turned, kicking the ball up the side of the pool. It bounced hard onto the ladder, causing a rattling sound that spooked Johnny into turning back. The ball slammed directly into Johnny’s face, sending him falling back onto the ground.

Daniel was quick to his feet, going to Johnny’s side in an instant. He didn’t get knocked out but he saw white for a moment, blinking wildly as he tried to regain his composure.

“Shit. Your nose.” Daniel commented with a wince.

Johnny reaches to touch his nose. It stung but definitely wasn’t broken. It was bleeding, however. Pushing up off the ground, Johnny let Daniel help him back into the apartment, repeatedly insisting to their mothers that they were both fine and had just been messing around.

“You’re welcome to punch me if you want. An eye for an eye, you know?” Daniel commented from where he was sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

Johnny was leaning against the sink, overlooking the sink. A simple nosebleed wasn’t that big of a deal to him but it was cute to see Daniel so worried.

“Chill, Danielle. I’ve been hit harder by weaker people.” He replied, not wanting to guilt him into having to freak out.

He hadn’t meant for it to happen and Johnny certainly wasn’t going to hold a grudge over something so minimum. Oh, how the mighty have fallen….

Daniel was quiet for a moment, just watching as Johnny cleaned up his nose, tossing away the blood-covered tissues into the trash. 

“And hey, you were right about tonight. At least I’ll have something nice to look at during dinner. So long as I sit across from your mom, of course.” 

Johnny shoved his hand away, sending a glare his way. “Asshole.” 

“I know she’s single, but is she ready to mingle? I feel like I’m ready to settle down.” Daniel told him, yelping as Johnny shoved him into the tub. 

A knock on the door came, alerting them that that dinner was complete.

“So, are there any other secrets you’re keeping from me?” Daniel asked, taking Johnny’s hand to pull him up as they made their way out of the bathroom. “Just want to clear the air with my sensei is all.”

“No, _Danny_. I don’t have any other secrets. Do you?” 

Daniel thought for a moment, biting his lip as he followed Johnny out. “That _John_ is something I’ll never tell.” 

“God, you’re insufferable,” Johnny muttered, leading Daniel into the makeshift dining room. 

Dusting themselves off, the boys prepared to share a meal and hopefully drive their mothers crazy with any karate talk they could have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly so honored and touched by the response to this story. I'm so so happy you all like it. I want you to know that the comments you leave bring a smile to my face and know all my effort was worthwhile. 
> 
> See you Sunday.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone! Well, it's not actually Halloween, but it is in the fic! So let's see what Halloween would look like in Jersey, huh?

The fall in Jersey was a world away from the fall in California. The changing leaves, the cool breeze. His mother couldn’t get over how nice it was, but then again she always did say she liked the cold rather than the war. 

Johnny on the other hand didn’t care about it very much. He hated wearing sweaters, preferring his shirts and polos year-round. Sure, California could be rainy at times, but at least you had the beach to look at. Here, he was stuck driving through the suburban neighborhoods, looking at practically taken trees since all their leaves had turned brown and were falling off.

He had begun driving Daniel to school every day since his place was on the way. It would save him from biking the entire time and since they’d wind up either having another lesson or going their separate ways with Johnny going to work or Daniel having soccer so he didn’t mind much. 

He still hadn’t bothered to get his lucky number so he’d usually hang around Daniel’s before classes, convincing the other boy to put his unwatched books into his locker since he’d have to open it up again eventually. 

He hasn't made any other friends since the move though that didn’t bother him much. He found it odd how quickly he had gone from having three other friends he saw all the time and did everything with to one and yet that one was just as enjoyable to be around. 

He still called his buddies whenever he got the chance and Tommy had been saying that Dutch wanted to make a road trip to visit him, though they weren’t sure when they were going to happen. The idea of seeing them again was nice but he wasn’t too keen on having them drop by his place. 

Having Daniel know the truth about his living situation was one thing but he wasn’t sure how’d he handle having Bobby, Dutch, Jimmy, and Tommy know. Their families weren’t Sid levels rich but that didn’t change the fact that they had come from money and would probably look down at Johnny for having to stay in such a dump. 

He tried not to think about it, instead of enjoying what he had and keeping his lessons with Daniel as consistent as possible. As the weeks went on they got better and better, finally being able to go one-on-one with each other without Johnny fearing he’d put the kid in a body bag by going too hard. 

There were no tournaments around as far as Johnny could tell though it didn’t matter much to him. For the first time in a long time, he was studying the art of karate as something to enjoy and not just something to achieve. 

Daniel had begun to question his lessons a time or two, showing off the books he had gotten from the library while Johnny still thought it was a waste of time. There was nothing in a book that you couldn’t learn on the actual mat.

“Why is it the Cobras don’t believe in mercy?” He asked curiously. 

“Mercy is for the weak. And when you’re on the mat and you’re fighting for the top spot, the last thing you want is to be weak.”

“But if you’re already winning, wouldn’t you have battled with honor?” 

“And if you let up and your opponent catches you off guard? You lose because of your weakness.” 

Daniel shrugged, unimpressed with the notion as he put the book down. “I don’t know. I think there is a difference between giving mercy because you think the person isn’t worth the effort and having enough honor to end the fight graciously.” 

“Enough talk, Larusso! Pin me or walk.” Johnny commanded. 

Daniel had even gotten the upper hand a time or two, impressing him with all the moves he had picked up along the way. It seemed those books weren’t useless garbage like he had first thought. 

They were both tired after one of the lessons, choosing to treat themselves to ice cream before the local places shut down come November. 

“So, are you doing anything on Halloween?” Daniel asked, plunging his spoon into his mint chocolate chip. 

Back in California, there would be a dance at the school he would always attend with his buddies. He had never been big on dancing; sure would twirl his mother around the fool at the country club events and they’d have their own little parties at home when Sid wasn’t around to dampen the mood. He would go to the dances with Ali because he knew it would make her happy, but it had never been something he was really interested in. 

“Going to a rave in the city,” Johnny admitted, licking around the rim of his vanilla cone. “It’s a need-to-know basis; sorry I can’t share the info.”

Daniel hummed, licking his spoon clean so he could take another bite. “Judy asked me to hang out but not really in the mood to be her shadow, you know?” Daniel admitted with a shrug. “My mom has to work and she doesn’t like the house being empty in case of somebody trying to egg it so I agreed to stay home and give out candy. You can come to hang it if you want. We could watch something scary. Maybe Alien or Rosemary’s Baby.” 

“Really making it worth my while, aren’t you Larusso?” Johnny teased, though it was inevitable as he had nowhere else to be that night. The YMCA didn’t bother putting him on since most families would be out celebrating and they didn’t need their entire cleaning crew on. So he was free to do whatever he wanted which usually resulted in him making his way to the Larusso household. 

Now that both their moms had become friends, Johnny had more or less accepted that they wouldn’t be making it back to California at all. His mom was comfortable in their neighborhood, in their dinky little apartment. She was content in working at the diner and had even begun to join Mrs. Larusso on those gin rummy games. He probably should have warned Daniel that his mom was a card shark but if he wanted to keep secrets, then it was fair game. 

His mom was working on Halloween but had taken him shopping to buy some candy to give out to the kids that came to the diner with their parents. He hadn’t intended on buying any costume but he went down the aisle anyway, finding half the shit to be cheap and boring. 

Instead, he and Daniel decided to swap for Halloween, with one dressing like the other just to take the piss out of it. He put on a soccer jersey he had gotten at goodwill and a wrinkled checkered button down to go over it. He looked completely out of character and it had his mom laughing as she hurried out the door for her shift. 

He usually dressed up with the guys, always having a group costume of sorts. He had learned from Tommy that they would be the living dead or something this year though he didn’t get a lot of details.

When he got to the Larusso household, Mrs. Larusso was already gone. Daniel was standing at the door, a bowl of candy in his arms. His outfit was nearly offensive with accuracy. The polo shirt, the popped collar, and the sunglasses were one thing but his natural tanned skin made him look like he was the true Cali boy between them both. 

“Looking good, Danny.” He proclaimed, holding the bowl out for him. 

Johnny rummaged through it, grabbing a Reece’s Cup as he walked into the house. “Not too shabby, John.” 

“So, I have a bit of a spooky surprise,” Daniel mentioned as they made their way into the living room. Under the table was a six-pack of beer, but not just any beer. It was pumpkin spice. A holiday special back in California. He had mentioned to Daniel that he and his friends would drink it every year despite it tasting more like battery acid. 

“How the hell did you find this?” 

Daniel ripped a can off, holding it out for Johnny to take. “I know a guy. Perks about having big families. There’s always one cousin willing to do you a solid.”

“You’re sure about this? You seem like you’re a bit of a lightweight.” Johnny mentioned, cracking the can open carefully. 

“So long as we clean up before my mom comes home and I at least pretend to sleep before she sees me, we’re fine.” 

“Looks like I’ll be spending the night.” 

Daniel grabbed himself a can, opening it up and clinking it against Johnny’s before he began chugging. Johnny joined him, groaning at the disgustingly familiar taste before plopping down onto the couch. 

Their night was simple. There was no wild party to get to, instead of drinking together as they flipped through the channels, settling on whatever holiday special was on until they could get it late enough for the really scary movies to come on. Johnny wondered what Tommy and the others were doing. If they had kept up with tradition and were terrifying the neighborhood or if Ali had dragged her new boyfriend to the dance. 

Johnny didn’t think about it for long, as Daniel consistently demanded his attention with everything he did and said. He made commentary on the movie they were watching, adding little details he knew and filling in the boring scenes with jokes he had made up. Johnny thought he’d be annoyed with the amount of energy the kid offered but found it to be rather charming. He was a happy-go-lucky bastard and Johnny was almost envious of it. 

They would go back and forth answering the door and handing out the candy, going together only when a kid wearing a mock karate costume came to the door and they decided to dump the rest of the bowl in his sack. 

After that, he left a bowl of loose change on the doorstep, figuring the kids that came later during the night would be pleased enough with that. 

They had gone through the six cans easily enough, with Johnny shifting comfortably on the couch, harboring a light buzz. The flavored beers never had enough to make him wildly drunk and it wasn’t like they had anywhere to go or do. 

They just sat together, basking in the glow of the screen as the killer chased down another pretty girl, guttering her like a fish. 

“I always liked blondes,” Daniel admitted, hiccuping after he said the words. “My mom teases me for it. I get it from my dad.” 

“Your mom is a brunette,” Johnny mentioned. 

Daniel giggled then, pushing his sunglasses down over his eyes. “Don’t tell my mom.” He shifted on the couch then, laying down lazily and poking Johnny’s leg with his toe. “You had a girlfriend, right? Abbie?”

“Ali.” Johnny corrected. “Yeah.” 

“Was she cute?” 

Johnny sighed, her face slowly filling his mind as he closed his eyes and relaxed. “Beautiful.” 

“Was she blonde?” 

Johnny hummed, sipping at the reminder of his third can. “She was.” 

The vision of Ali smiling on the beach during a sunset lasted in his mind for a solid minute before slowly disappearing. Another face began to take form though he opened his eyes before it could completely materialize. 

“You know, Judy and I. We used to be an item.” Daniel confessed.

Johnny had never gotten around to asking though he had a feeling the two were a bit more than friends. The way she hung around him and touched his hair or his arms showed a clear sense of dominance and even if he didn’t like her back, Judy was sure to have feelings for Daniel. 

“Oh yeah? What happened?” 

“I don’t know.” He admitted. “We just sort of simmer out.” He hiccuped then, sitting up slightly. “This one time, we were hanging out at her place. We were alone and I wanted to make a move, but I froze.” 

“Froze how?” 

“I just froze, man. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I felt like a moron. She ended up coming in close but I just laid there like an idiot.” 

Johnny turned to face the other boy, confused by his actions. “So what, you were just frozen in time?” 

“She came in closer right? So.” Daniel shifted then, getting onto his knees. He began leaning over Johnny, bringing their faces closer together. “She was right here. All I had to do was move in, but I just couldn’t do it.” 

“Because she’s not blonde?” Johnny asked. Even behind the dark sunglasses, Johnny could see Daniel glaring. 

“I don’t know, man. I just pussied out.” 

“What have I been teaching you, Larusso? Strike first and strike hard. If someone is going to make the first move, you have to be on guard.” He moved then, mirroring Daniel’s position on the couch, moving to lean over him. “If someone is going in for a kiss, going in closer and closer. If they don’t finish the job, you have to meet them halfway.” 

“Halfway?” Daniel swallowed. 

“If she moved closer and closer, then you’re golden! All you have to do is-” 

Johnny didn’t finish his sentence as Daniel did exactly as he was told. He moved in halfway, closing the gap between them by pressing his mouth against Johnny’s. It only lasted a moment and both boys were quick to pull back from one another. Johnny knelt flabbergasted on the couch, having not expected Daniel to do such a thing while Daniel was sitting there blushing like a nervous elk. He pulled off the sunglasses to reveal those big brown eyes that seemed to follow Johnny everywhere. 

“Just like that?” He spoke up.

Johnny bobbed his head, not responded. 

He watched Daniel in the corner of his eye, seeing how he was fidgeting and rocking forward. For a second he thought the guy was going to hurry off to the bathroom to hurl, but instead, he pushed onto the couch, catching Johnny’s lips with his own for another kiss. 

It was better this time, more coordinated. It wasn’t perfect but he blamed that on the quick movements and lousy aim. Kissing while drunk wasn’t very fun when you got down to the techniques. You had to be able to aim your mouth correctly another side you’d literally just be sucking face. Daniel was doing a decent job at it however and Johnny surprisingly didn’t pull away. 

He let Daniel Larusso kiss him right there on the couch as a horror movie played on before them. He found that he tasted like the beer they had drunk, a mixture of regular ale with a cinnamon twist made to mirror the pumpkin flavoring. His lips were soft, more than he expected, and not sticky like his exes had been from the consistent lip gloss she used to apply. 

Johnny had begun to lean into him, his hand coming up to hold Daniel’s cheek as he deepened the kiss. Only when the doorbell rang and the over-eager shouts from the trick or treaters came did they finally break apart. 

“Guess we ran out of pennies.” Daniel laughed, pushing off the couch so he could find something to give the kids so they didn’t TP the house on revenge. 

Johnny meanwhile felt dizzy as all hell and bent forward to put his head between his legs. He didn’t normally throw up when he drank, but tonight had already been weird enough so this didn’t come as a surprise. 

When Daniel returned he was saying something though Johnny didn’t hear a word of it. He pushed off the couch and hurried off to the bathroom, thankfully making it to the toilet before vomiting into it. He did that a couple more times before collapsing on the floor beside the toilet. 

Eventually, Daniel came to check on him and they managed to pick his sorry ass up off the floor and bring him into Daniel’s room. He had a trundle bed that his mom had gotten him a few Christmas back so he could have more friends sleepover after growing out of his bunk bed. He tossed Johnny onto it, repeatedly telling him it was all right. 

Those were the words he had fallen asleep too and when he woke in the bright and shining more and found Daniel asleep in his own bed beside him, he didn’t bother waking him. Instead, Johnny grabbed his things and left the house, accepting the hangover that came his way as he drove back down the shitty streets and to his own place where he collapsed onto his own bed, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do next. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading. Please tell me down below what you thought. Reading the comments is what keeps me sane while editing and is what drives me to possibly writing even more. 
> 
> The slow burn has officially ended. From this point on, it's nothing but angst!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, before we begin I just want to start out by saying thank you to the commenter to left a very lengthy reply to the last chapter. I swear to you, I am going to print that out and put it up on my wall. I am so touched and pleased with your response. 
> 
> Without further ado.

Johnny rubbed his hands together viciously as he waited for Daniel to come outside so they could head to school. He hadn’t seen the other boy for the rest of the weekend, having been busy with work and helping his mom clean the apartment. Now that October was finished, the fall weather was slowly deciding to disappear and it seemed like an early winter was on its way. 

Johnny had always liked winter, mostly because in California it was pretty similar to every other time of year. Now he was sitting in New Jersey, freezing his ass off in the bitter autumn weather, wishing that the heat in his car worked better than it already did. 

“Come on, Larusso, what did you fall in the fucking bath or something?” Johnny muttered to himself. He thought about just honking the horn like he used to do in front of Ali’s house, but unlike her Beverly Hills home that was more spaced out and had a private driveway, the Newark neighborhoods were a bit too close together. 

Turning the car off, he got out of the car and made his way to the door, knocking on it repeatedly as he checked the time on his watch. They were going to be late at this point, and he was sure Mrs. Williams would chew his ear off for it. Daniel was gonna have to pay for this one way or another. 

Johnny was thinking about how he could push the other boy to the limit when Mrs. Larusso opened the door, looking rather confused to see him standing there. 

“Hi, Mrs. Larusso. Is Daniel ready for school?” 

“Daniel already left, Johnny. He didn’t call and tell you?” She asked gently. “He rode his bike this morning, saying he had an assignment he had to finish.” 

Johnny thought about his own class schedule, wondering if there was some project he was meant to finish up or even start really. Daniel had called him up a couple of times when he didn’t need a ride, having the curtsey to do so thanks to his mom. 

“Must have slipped his mind.” 

“My son. Smart as a whip but just as airy sometimes.” She laughed, leaning in against the open door frame. 

Smiling politely, Johnny turned back towards his car. “I’ll see you around, Mrs. Larusso.” He called over his shoulder. 

He raced into the parking lot, swearing under his breath as he pulled into the shittier back row parking spots. He hurried into the school and got to class just as the bell was ringing. Mrs. Williams didn’t say a word but did give him a dirty look as he plopped down into his seat. 

Johnny had spent the remainder of his day wondering if Daniel had even bothered going to school, instead choosing to play hookey. Johnny was almost offended by the idea, knowing if the idiot was going to ditch then Johnny should have been given an invite to come along. 

There was no sign of him during lunch, resulting in Johnny eating alone for the first time since he got to the school and he didn’t see him in the hallway between classes. 

Only when the final bell of the day rang out and Johnny was heading out of his last period did he finally spot the guy. He was by his locker, swapping books out almost frantically. Johnny tugged his backpack onto his shoulder, approaching easily. 

“Easy Speed Racer. The books aren’t going anywhere.” Johnny teased. 

Daniel didn’t stop his movements, going to kneel so he could remove three textbooks and replace them with another two. 

“Went to your house today. You could have told me you didn’t need a ride.”

“I was in a rush,” Daniel commented. 

“You get an A in karate but a big fat F in manners.” He joked, going to lean against the locker as he watched him switch out one notebook for another. “Are you busy tonight?” 

“I have soccer,” Daniel replied. 

“Ah right. The final game is coming up. Are you excited?” 

“Yup.” Daniel stood then, slamming his locker closed. “See ya.” 

And just like that, he was gone. It wasn’t until Johnny got all the way back to his car did he realize Daniel hadn’t looked at him once during the three-second conversation. 

Johnny tried not to think too much into it. Maybe that assignment was kicking his ass and he was trying to keep focus. He allowed himself to forget about it for the time period, going home to do homework for the night. 

The following day, he returned to the Larusso household, finding the driveway empty and when he got out to knock, nobody answered. When he got to school, Daniel wasn’t there. Not in lunch or at his locker. When he got home, he had about twenty minutes to get ready for work, and in the middle of washing up, he received a phone call. 

Mrs. Larusso was on the other line explaining that Daniel had gotten some dental work and that she let him stay home from school due to the pain. “I’m gonna take him to school for the rest of the week. Got to make sure the pain meds don’t make him too loopy.” 

“Is Daniel there? Can I talk to him?” 

“Oh Johnny I’m sorry, he’s resting. Two molars -- both pulled. This is what I get for not pushing him to floss.” 

“All right. Tell him I hope he feels better.” 

“Will do. Say hi to your mom for me.” She requested sweetly before hanging up. 

Johnny tried not to worry about Daniel, figuring that he was fine on his own. He was stressed about school, about his dental work, and his final soccer game was coming up. The guy had a lot on his plate and Johnny didn’t want to bother him with karate practice. 

It was the first time in a very long time that Johnny didn’t have the desire to perform it. Even back in California, if he was sitting at home in his room or getting ready to go out with the guys, he would do a few practice moves or check himself out in the mirror, perfecting his fighting stance. Karate had been a way of life for him for such a long time and now there was so much more going on that the activity no longer held a forefront for him in his mind. 

Johnny wondered how the guys were holding up in Cobra Kai. If Dutch had gone and made everybody miserable or if Kreese was regretting his decision to take him under his way. He wondered if Bobby and Jimmy were holding up okay or if they had decided to take on other interests now that it was their final year of high school. 

He wondered if Tommy or Bobby had begun looking at colleges. He wondered if Dutch was even going to go to college. Johnny hadn’t considered it yet. Mrs. Larusso had suggested that Daniel go to some local college and Johnny figured he’d follow in line, mostly because it didn’t look like he would be getting a scholarship for anything. 

Unless there was a university for karate, Johnny wasn’t going to be impressing the administration anytime soon. 

Two days had passed since he last saw Daniel and actually spoke to him. He found it strange as they had been practically tied to the hip since school started. Everybody was getting all up in arms over the soccer match coming up, so he tried to remind himself that Daniel had other things to do than hang out with Johnny. 

He decided to stop by the Larusso household after getting out of work to see how his jaw was healing after tooth removal. Maybe they could grab some dinner, depending on whether or not Daniel could eat. His mom had broken a heel during work and he was dropping by the diner to give her a new pair of shoes. Why the woman decided to wear high heels while working was just too strange for him to fully question.

But he strode in, shoes in hand like the prince charming his mother made him out to be. She kissed his cheek, wiping away the lipstick stain she had left there. It was busy and his mom was just about to finish up her break. 

He walked up to the counter, smiling at one of his mother’s coworkers. “Hey, can I get a vanilla sundae to go?” He requested, going into his pocket to grab his wallet. At least you didn’t have to chew ice cream right? Surely the cold would help with the healing process. 

“I promised not to say anything, but look to the third booth on the left.” His mother whispered to him before heading back behind the counter. 

Johnny looked in the general direction, his stomach dropping the moment he caught the scene. Daniel was sitting in the booth, chatting up the girl across from him. It was Judy, looking oh so eager to be there. Across from her sat Daniel, who was listening to her talk about who knows what.

His heart sank at the sight of them and a million and one questions popped into his head. Had this been going on for a while? It couldn’t have as Daniel had only told him on Halloween that they weren’t a thing anymore. Did he want them to be a thing? Because the fact that he spent the night with him and not her certainly made Johnny think otherwise. Did he ask her out tonight or did she beg him to come along just like she usually did? 

Johnny left the diner without saying goodbye to his mother and without grabbing the ice cream he had ordered. He stayed in his room, allowing the bundle of emotion to seep deep into the pit of his stomach. 

He wanted nothing more than to punch a hole in the wall, blaming it on the lack of guidance since they arrived in this shitty town. Johnny had always been an angry kid, drawn out from getting bullied as a preteen and then having an asshole stepdad who treated him like shit growing up. 

Kreese had been able to harness that anger, that hate and used it to his advantage. Johnny had been his star pupil, showing just how low a person could be and how quickly they could rise to stardom under his care. 

Now Johnny was without Kreese, without Cobra Kai, and without a clue on how to handle these emotions. 

When his mom returned home from work, she handed him the sundae, though Johnny pushed it back at her. She put it in the freezer for them to have later and proceeded to ask Johnny all about the pretty brunette that Daniel was sitting with. 

“She’s not that pretty, mom. You’re just being nice.” Johnny replied harshly. 

Judy was plain and simple. Not that there was anything wrong with that but he found it mighty interesting that Daniel decided to up and go out on a date with her despite only admitting that he didn’t even have the ability to kiss her. 

“It’s okay to be a little jealous of her, Johnny.” His mother stated carefully. Johnny turned back to face her, wondering where the hell she got that idea from. “You and Daniel would spend nearly every day together and now his attention is focused on someone else. It’s completely normal to feel that way.” 

Johnny scoffed, pushing himself up from the table. “I’m not jealous, mom. That’s fucking ridiculous.” 

Johnny might have been many things, but saying he was jealous of Judy was a long shot. No, this wasn’t jealousy at play here. This was anger. So what if they had basically been tied at the hip since they started doing karate? Who gave a damn if Johnny had found himself watching for Daniel’s eyes in the hallway or moved from sitting across from him to beside him at lunch? 

Who cared if he gave the guy his work schedule so they could come up with a proper karate schedule? And who cared if Johnny found himself wanting to be around Daniel more than anybody else, including the cheerleaders who had begun to notice him more and more? 

Johnny wasn’t jealous, he felt betrayed. Betrayed by Daniel who seemed so goddamn wishy-washy on what it was he even wanted. 

“Language!” 

“They’ve been friends since they were kids, okay? She’s practically president of his Fanclub. If he wants to suck face with some clingy chick then so be it but I’m certainly not going to weep over the loss of our friendship.”

“You don’t have to stop being friends with Daniel just because he got a girlfriend.” His mom reminded him. 

Johnny didn’t even think that was an option. He knew it would be stupid to end a friendship just because Daniel decided to give Judy another try, but it just seemed like the most logical thing at the time. 

Especially after the shit, he had pulled on Halloween?

Truth be told, Johnny hadn’t thought about it much. It should have been strange for him. Should have been mind-blowing. Daniel Larusso kissed him and Johnny didn’t bat an eye. Wasn’t that weird? Wasn’t that strange? Shouldn’t he have been upset or angry? Shouldn’t he have pushed Daniel away and called him a bad name or threatened to be the shit out of him? 

Had he been in California, he probably would have. It wouldn’t have even been a threat at that point. He would have pound Daniel into the ground and told him if he ever touched him again he would kill him.

But Johnny wasn’t that guy anymore. He wasn’t the Cobra Kai King who had to hurt people to deal with his own pain, his own confusion.

Johnny was confused, but not because Daniel kissed him but because they haven’t bothered talking about it. 

For a long moment, Johnny thought it would have been best to just let it go. They had their fun together, but now it was time to be serious and move on. Daniel would have his girlfriend and Johnny would focus on his job at the Y. Daniel could practice on his own and continue to read up on those karate books. They’d never talk about it and that would be that.

But that was a weakness. That was allowing his own insecurities to bubble up and fester until they weren’t even recognizable anymore. 

Kreese had been right that weakness wasn’t to be tolerated, but it took Johnny a little bit longer to truly realize what was weakness and what was just being human.

Throwing your wife to the ground and punching your stepson in the face was a weakness. Having feelings for your best friend and wanting to deal with that was human. 

Walking away when things got tough was a weakness. Walking away for a better life was human.

Johnny’s main instinct was to fight. To make Daniel feel the same amount of pain that he put Johnny through. He could Ali’s voice in the back of his head always asking why everything has to be a fight with him. Johnny didn’t have an answer for her. It was what he was taught.

Fight and make others feel pain, just to make himself feel numb. 

But Johnny didn’t want to be that guy anymore. He didn’t want to think he was weak just because he had emotions.

Kreese and Sid were the weak ones. Johnny and his mom, who felt deeply and loved with their whole hearts, they were as tough as they came. 

And Johnny would be damned if he let anyone, including himself, think differently. 

So the following day he hauled his ass to school and kept his eyes to himself, letting Daniel think he had won this round. He didn’t seek him out in the hallway or bother to even go into the cafeteria for lunch, choosing to stick around study hall and get some work done there.

When school was over, he got into his car and pulled out of the parking lot. Rather than leaving the grounds, however, he moved it so he was parked directly behind the soccer field, in perfect view of all the players practicing for the impending game. 

He sat on the hood of his car and watched as the players went over their strategies and plays. He listened to his Walkman, letting the heartbreaking tunes from Dionne Warwick and Air Supply fill his ears.

Fucking  _ Air Supply _ . Daniel Larusso got under his skin and fucked with his mind in the worst of ways, Johnny was sure of it. 

Daniel noticed him almost instantly and would occasionally look over to him now and then. When practice was finished, Johnny didn’t move a muscle, instead of waiting for Daniel to come to him.

He knew he would. Not only because he believed the guy couldn’t just keep ignoring him like he was but also because Johnny used the extra key to Daniel’s bike lock and stole the thing to keep him from hurrying off. Daniel had kept it in the glove compartment in Johnny’s car in case he ever needed the spare. The bike was currently tied up in his trunk, having been shoved in there quite violently. Johnny would apologize, but he wasn’t actually that sorry. 

Daniel walked over to him, checking behind him once to make sure none of the other guys on the team were watching them. Everybody went their separate ways, leaving Johnny and Daniel alone for the first time in almost a week. 

Daniel stood before him, not saying a single thing and just barely looking at him. Johnny hadn’t realized how accustomed he had become to those big brown eyes. How much he had missed them in the past few days.

“How’d your date go?” Johnny asked, bitterness seeping through into his words. “I saw you at the diner. Were you able to kiss her this time?” 

“It wasn’t really a date,” Daniel admitted, sounding guilty all the same. “She wanted to hang out.” 

“At my mom’s diner,” Johnny muttered. 

They could have gone anywhere, but it felt like a stab in the back to know he had brought Judy there.

“It’s her favorite place, okay? I didn’t choose it. I don’t know why you’re getting all pissed off about it.” 

Johnny slid off the hood of his car, going to stand directly in front of Daniel. He towered over him easily. “I’m pissed off Larusso because you spent this entire week avoiding me like I had the fucking plague.” 

“I wasn’t avoiding you.” 

“Oh, bullshit! You’ve been up my ass since the moment you found out I could teach you karate and then the second you become desperate for a girlfriend you act like I don’t even exist.” 

“It wasn’t like that! We were just hanging out. She’s my friend. I’m allowed to have friends, Johnny.” 

“Oh yeah, some friend. You know, you never answered my question. Were you able to kiss her this time or did you chicken out again?” 

“You have some nerve, you know!” Daniel snapped, shoving Johnny back. 

“Me?” Johnny spit, stepped forward again, breaking into Daniel’s personal space. 

“After the shit, you pulled on Halloween?” 

Johnny was sure he must have looked crazy. He must have been red-faced and wide-eyed just staring at Daniel, who truly did have the audacity to accuse him of such a thing. “The shit _ I  _ pulled? I wasn’t the one making the first move asshole!” 

“Interesting how that’s your tagline though. Strike first, strike hard. I did strike first and I got paid for it in puke!” 

“Are you seriously getting pissed because I had to  _ vomit _ ? Oh, grow up, Daniel!” 

“How the hell do you think I feel? I put my neck out on the line and you run off to hurl! And then the next morning you’re not even there. What, did you wait until I was asleep before making your grand exit?” 

“I had work the next day, dipshit! It was your idea to do the drinking anyway. What, were you too afraid to kiss me sober so you had to loosen yourself up first?” 

Daniel blushed deeply, the color tainting his already tanned cheeks. “I didn’t plan on doing that!” 

“Well, you did,” Johnny told him, moving forward once again. Daniel stood his ground, forcing them to stand chest to chest. “You kissed me. You did to me what you couldn’t do with Judy. And you liked it, whether you want to admit it or not.” 

“I never said I didn’t,” Daniel admitted through gritted teeth. 

“You know, you talk such a big game about having honor on the karate mat, but apparently that doesn’t apply in real life, huh?” 

“I thought you’d be pissed, okay? Or that you’d think it was just the alcohol. My plan wasn’t to get you drunk and have my way with you.”

“What was the plan then?” 

“To just hangout! I wanted you to have a good night. You constantly tell me about the wild shit you and your old friends used to do and I wanted to . . . I don’t know . . . impress you or some shit.” 

“You don’t have to chug pumpkin-flavored beer to impress me, Larusso,” Johnny replied to him, seemingly simmering down for the moment. 

A familiar voice on his head was demanding that he finish the twerp; throw him on the ground and show him that Johnny Lawrence wasn’t one to be messed with. He ignored this voice, however. It didn’t defy him any longer. 

He pulled away instead, going to sit back on the hood of the Firebird. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying his best to come down from his angry high. He counted silently to himself, looking up to find Daniel watching him. 

“Did it mean anything?” He asked quietly. 

For all he knew it could have just been a drunken mistake. Daniel could have been avoiding him because he was ashamed and embarrassed for kissing him. 

Daniel’s shoulders slumped as if he was accepting defeat at that very moment. “Of course it did. I might not have planned it, but that doesn’t mean I regret it.” He moved closer then, risking it all to lean against the car beside Johnny. “I just didn’t think you’d be into that sort of stuff.” 

Johnny snorted loudly. “That makes two of us.” He admits. 

They had teased one another before and the flirting was pretty obvious but it could all be played off as a joke. Just two dudes messing around. 

Expect Johnny wasn’t messing around when he looked at Daniel and thought of those gorgeous eyes and dreamt of those pouty lips. He wasn’t messing around when he had to fight the urge to shut him up with his own mouth. 

He should have freaked out, he should have shoved those thoughts away but he just couldn’t. 

“I don’t know. It should be weird, but it wasn’t. Maybe it was the alcohol.” 

Johnny pictured that night, the way that Daniel’s lips felt on his own. It was nice at the moment, but did that really mean he wanted it all the time? 

“I don’t like Judy like that.” Daniel insisted, tapping his foot against Johnny’s. “I don’t think I’ve ever liked anyone the way I like you.” 

It was a simple enough confession, but one that could land them both into hot water. Guys around their age were meant to be girl crazy. Daniel should be caring about Judy and Johnny should be focusing on getting another girlfriend just as hot as his last.

But instead, they were there, along together, making these quiet confessions that were going to change everything from this point on. 

Johnny turned his head then, allowing himself to be lost in those big brown eyes that he had missed so much. “Me either.” He confessed. 

“What now?” 

What now indeed. It wasn’t like they could just walk away from this. They had their hearts on the line here and Johnny would be damned if he let some jackass from Jersey turn him into some broken-hearted schlub. 

“Now, we do the one thing we were always taught not to do in Cobra Kai: admit defeat.” 

Daniel winced, unsure if he liked the idea of that. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Johnny hummed, weighing over his options before replying. “Depends on how good of a kisser you are while sober.” 

Johnny smirked as Daniel’s eyes widened and the rosey color on his cheeks returned. Johnny bumped his shoulders with Daniel’s before sliding off the hood, moving around so he could get into the car. 

He didn’t say anything more, just smile as he got into the driver’s seat. Daniel was quick to follow, hopping into the passenger side and smiling just as brightly over the choices they had just made. 

It certainly would be interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We don't believe in gay panic in this house. We just believe in not talking about our feelings cause boys do be stupid. 
> 
> I hope this chapter brought you as much excitement as the last one. Please do tell me down below, as I have previously stated reading your comments is by far my favorite thing to do in this strange world we live in. 
> 
> Also: Johnny hates Air Supply and I will die on this hill.
> 
> See you Friday.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo, whose ready for some boys loving boys content? Johnny sure as hell isn't but too bad. We don't believe in gay panic in this house. Just two idiots who crave one another's attention. 
> 
> Also, literally, nobody asked, but the title of the fic comes from We Belong by Pat Benatar, which came out the same year the movie did. If you haven't listened to it, please check it out. It fits these boys oh so very well.

And just like that, nothing would ever be the same, but what a wonderful ride it could be. Johnny in no way knew what to make of the situation. When he had arrived in Newark, he knew everything there was to know about himself. He knew his preferences and style when it came to his clothing. He knew the type of music he liked to listen to and the food he liked to eat. There wasn’t anything known that had to be discovered, or so he thought. 

The moment Daniel Larusso walked into his life, everything changed. He was no longer the Cobra Kai King who would strike first, strike hard and not give a shit about whatever happens afterward. He was the type of guy that accepted no defeat, accepted no weakness. He was a young Kreese in the making with no intention of changing his ways. 

Now, just a few months later, there was a flip in the script. Johnny still struck hard and struck fast, but he was more prone to waiting and watching, both in and out of karate. He found that there were more things to focus on, more interest to be sought out than winning every single competition. 

Don’t get him wrong, karate was still a huge part of his life but he found himself actually enjoying the sessions now rather than trying to perfect it. And having someone to teach it to who was enjoying it just as much as him, taking in his words and his teachings, and seriously made it all worth it to him. 

Daniel was still the annoying little eager beaver he was, whether they were practicing or not. He had begun to excel in his techniques and found that kicking truly was his strong suit. He even showed Johnny a few moves he had found in those books of him, performing them with ease one night while the two were sparring in the middle of the empty pool. 

Johnny was impressed, even after Daniel got the upper hand on him and landed a kick directly to his head. Johnny was left with a bruise and a headache, and a very apologetic Daniel, which wasn't actually half bad. 

He was rambling on his apologies and trying desperately to make sure Johnny wasn’t concussed or had some brain injury. He called later that night and in the early morning to make sure that Johnny didn’t die in his sleep, the overdramatic brat.

There were other perks to their new aged decision making, some that excited Johnny and some that terrified him to the core. 

For one, Daniel Larusso was a damn good kisser when he was sober. The eager to please Jersey boy had been more than willing to drop everything around him if it meant a few minutes of kissing. They could be doing their homework or rummaging through the used record bin at the music store and all Johnny had to do was give him a look and the guy was dropping everything to jump him. 

And to be completely honest, it was awesome. Johnny had kissed girls before Ali, but with her, it had always been so . . . forced wasn’t the right word. He liked her, he did, but he also knew how good they looked together and he just figured that was how it was meant to be. He was a karate jock, she was on the cheer squad. Two blonde-haired, blue-eyed teens living in the hills. It just made sense for them to be together. 

Sometimes Daniel seemed so much like his polar opposite that it was frightening. He was always so scatterbrained, having to rush to his locker to swap one book out because he accidentally grabbed another. He was energetic over everything and always seemed to be in this happy-go-lucky frame of mind. How he put up with Johnny, who from the moment he and his mom had arrived has been pretty pessimistic about their whole situation. 

Still, they worked well together. Johnny guessed it was that whole ‘opposites attract’ bullshit that his mom used to spew whenever she would defend her marriage to Sid. 

The underlying issue however was what to call each other. They were together, there was no denying that and Johnny had never been one for sharing, so as far as he was concerned, they were exclusive. 

They hadn’t talked about it since they started this haphazard adventure, choosing to use their mothers for another purpose. They hadn’t gone all the way yet mostly because Johnny still didn’t know how that would work for them. 

Obviously, he knew how it would go down physically, but it was still something they needed to discuss first. 

Johnny tried not to put too much thought into it, wanting to just enjoy what they had, but he couldn’t help himself. Johnny Lawrence wasn’t gay. He had sex with Ali and liked it. Loved it even. He liked the way her body felt against his. He liked touching her all over. He liked the way she smelt and would occasionally find himself checking out a nice rack now and then.

Johnny had never been attracted to a dude before. Not until Daniel. 

And he liked the way it felt when Daniel was pressed against him. He liked the way he would be an aggressive little shit and push at him during their lessons. Sometimes Daniel would just tackle him to the ground, straddling him with this goofy grin on his way. He liked the weight of Daniel on top of him when their groins were pressed together. 

Johnny wasn’t too sure he liked guys, but he certainly liked the Larusso kid, and as far as he was concerned that was all that mattered. 

They hadn’t told anyone, mostly because it was none of their business what they did behind closed doors. He and Daniel were still trying to figure it all out after all. Until then, they’d keep a safe distance when they were together, saving the hot and heavy stuff when they knew they were alone. 

When the night of the soccer game came around, Johnny put on his sweater and his hat. He hated the cold so much it was almost comical at this point, but he zipped up his jacket and headed to the school to see the final game. 

He moved up to the high point of the bleachers, sitting right beside Mrs. Larusso who came to support her son. Judy was on the lower level, watching Daniel with earnest. Johnny tried his best to ignore her, knowing he had no real reason to dislike her. Couldn’t blame the girl for finding Daniel attractive and worthy of being around. 

The kid was gorgeous and deserved to be gawked at. 

The game was a tough one, with the opponents ganging up on the home team at every single corner. The team was giving it their all but Johnny only had his eyes on one person. Daniel was giving it his all, not caring if he was being tripped or knocked into. He was getting messy from the cold, hard ground but he didn’t give a damn. 

When it finally ended and the home team won, everybody stood up and cheered them on. They waited for the crowd to simmer down before heading over to the fence. Daniel jogged right over to them, greeting them with that big goofy smile that made Johnny’s heart do all these little flips. 

Mrs. Larusso was on him in seconds, leaning over the fence to kiss his cheek and comment about how dirty he had gotten. She tried to clean away a mark on his face by licking her thumb, causing his cheeks to turn bright red with embarrassment. 

Johnny laughed as the two broke apart, congratulating Daniel on the win. He could see some of the other players across the field, who threw their arms around their girlfriends and kissed them without a care who was watching. 

Johnny didn’t have that option, but that was fine for now. He could live in the shadows so long as he got to see Daniel looking at him like that like he was worth more than any trophy. 

“The team was going to grab dinner. Can I go with them, ma?” Daniel asked, moving closer to the fence. 

“Just promise to clean up before you do. Champion or not I don’t want you running around town looking like you rolled in a pile of dirt.” 

“I have my clothes in the locker room.” 

“All right, fine. I’ll see you later tonight. Come on, Johnny.” 

“He’s staying!” Daniel told her quickly. “He’s coming with us, right? He’s practically a part of our Fanclub, ain’t you Lawrence?” 

“It’s always been my dream to be a cheerleader to a New Jersey High School soccer team,” Johnny replied dryly, biting his lip when he felt Daniel touch his arm through the fence. 

“Well, you go get cleaned up. Johnny, walk an old woman to her car.” 

“I’m parked out front,” Johnny said, sharing one final glance with Daniel before they went their separate ways. 

After walking Mrs. Larusso to her car and wishing her a goodnight, Johnny sat on the hood of the firebird and waited for Daniel to finish changing. When he emerged from the school, his dirty uniform was replaced with his usual jeans and a plaid shirt. Underneath that, he had one of the shirts Johnny had given him and it made his brain go a little wonky seeing him in his clothes all out in the open. 

The weather was cooler now and John watched as Daniel rubbed his arms, trying to warm up as he approached the car. Without even a second thought Johnny pulled off his red Cobra Kai jacket and handed it to Daniel, who slipped it on with a small word of thanks. 

“So, is the team actually grabbing dinner, or was that just a lie to get you out of hanging with your mom?” Johnny asked as Daniel approached. 

“Both. It won’t be for another hour, so I figured we could use that to our advantage.” 

“You’re insatiable, Larusso.”

“Big word, Lawrence. You playing Scrabble with my grandma when I’m not around?” 

Johnny slid off the hood of his car, smirking as he circled Daniel to get to the driver's seat. He didn’t even have to say anything. All he did was give Daniel a knowing look and the other boy hopped right into the car. 

Despite being gorgeous, a firebird wasn’t the type of car you could easily move inside of. The seats bent back just barely and there wasn’t enough room in the back to actually be comfortable, but the two made it work. 

They stayed in the parking lot of the school, knowing it was too dark for anyone to actually see them and there was no security guard to drive them away. They hadn’t done anything other than make out but that was still hot enough for them. Johnny had all but pulled Daniel on top of him, knowing he would if the car wasn’t so fucking cramped. 

Instead, they just leaned over the cupholders, tangling tongues as the classic rock radio station played on between them. After a bit, Daniel had begun pulling away to make commentary on every song that played, stating his like or dislike for the tune. 

“You can comment or you can kiss, Larusso. Pick one.” Johnny laughed, though his eyes were blazing with annoyance. 

Daniel just laughed along with him, pulling Johnny in by the nape of his neck, making his choice pretty obvious. 

They carried on until the hour was up and it was time to meet some of the others for dinner. It was late and even Johnny would be lying if he said he wasn’t hungry. 

“We don’t have to meet up with them if you don’t want to,” Daniel noted, his fingers carding through Johnny’s hair the way they always did when he was trying to get him to do what he wanted. “We could go back to your place. Make something for ourselves and enjoy the privacy.” 

It was how things had been working for them. They didn’t actually go on any dates but they made it work. On nights when Daniel’s mom was out with her friends, they’d stay at his place, listening to his records, trying their best not to roll off his tiny bed.

On the nights his own mother was working a late shift Daniel would come over and they’d make themselves comfortable on the couch. The only thing Daniel knew how to make was eggs and toast so he'd work on the breakfast if he slept over while Johnny made them both dinner.

“Is this how our relationship is gonna work? You play sports and I cook the food?” Johnny meant it as a way to tease Daniel, but the other boy wasn’t laughing. 

He was staring at Johnny with those big brown eyes, his lips red and swollen from their makeout session forming into a sweet smile as he leaned back in his seat. “Relationship, huh?”

Johnny hadn’t even noticed he said it until Daniel replied to him. He guessed it was true. What other words could he call it? A courtship? Too old fashioned. A love affair? Gross. “You got another term for it?” 

Daniel shook his head, tossing his hands up. “Nah. Relationship works for me.” 

Johnny bobbed his head, deciding to just leave it like that. “I’ve hung out with your soccer buddies before.” Johnny reminded him, wondering now that they had put a label on what they were doing Daniel was suddenly regretting it. 

“It’s not that.” He swore. “They want to go to Tops.” 

Johnny realized the gestation coming from the other boy. Johnny had avoided going out with Daniel’s friends any time they went to his mom’s place of work. None of the kids at school knew where he lived and still thought he was in some big house. He knew he had nothing to be ashamed of but it was just better to let them assume than to face the truth. 

“We can go to your place and order pizza. My treat.” 

“We can go to the diner. It’s not that big of a deal.” Johnny insisted, not wanting to hide anything anymore. They already had so many other things they had to keep buried down deep; any more and Johnny was going to start losing track of it all. 

“Is your mom on tonight?” Daniel asked. 

Johnny started the car up again, looking over his shoulder as he backed out. “It’s not a big deal.” He repeated. 

When they got to the diner, they found the team had already grabbed a table. They saved a seat for Daniel and shuffled down one knowing Johnny was going to want to sit next to them. What they had been doing when they were alone wasn’t known to anyone, but the school was already aware that the two were basically a set pair. 

They settled down, taking a few moments to skim through the menu. Judy was there chatting up Daniel’s ear about all the gossip she heard during the game. Daniel’s foot nudged Johnny’s foot under the table and he turned, expecting that the dark-haired boy wanted his attention, but he was still focused on the girl across from him. 

Daniel did it again and Johnny realized he was just being playful. A silent way to say  _ you have my attention _ even when he was around everyone else. 

They were all squeezed into the table so it wasn’t too wild if they accidentally touched, allowing them to have a bit of leeway for the moment. Johnny tapped Daniel’s knee with his knuckle, letting the other boy know he had his attention too. 

“All right, are we all set to order?” The waitress asked as she approached. Johnny looked up and smiled at his mom, catching her eye as they went down the line. When it was Daniel’s turn he ordered his usual burger with fries. “Extra ketchup on the side?” She asked, knowing his order, as well as Johnny, did. 

“Yes. Thank you.” He replied, leaving out the ‘Ms. Lawrence.’ Daniel always addressed her like that, sometimes even as Laura if she had been insisting on it. Daniel’s mom raised a polite gentleman and Johnny knew the only reason he left it out was that he didn’t want to raise awareness to who she was. 

“And you for?” She asked, turning her attention onto Johnny. 

“Same as him. Extra ketchup and all.” He replied, handing her the menu. “Thanks, mom.” He added after a moment. 

His mother turned to go put the order in but the smile was wide enough to see even as she walked away. Nobody really reacted to the words, as if Johnny’s mom working at a shitty dinner on Main was just everyday knowledge. Only one person said anything. The goalie of the game who Daniel swore was good people. 

“Johnny, that’s your mom? Dude, she’s hot!” He raved, laughing as another player shoved him for even saying such a wild, yet an accurate thing.

Johnny felt the lingering touch of Daniel’s hand beside his own and without even looking down, looped his pinky around Daniel’s. It wasn’t the same as holding hands, but for being out in public, it was more than enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. I do hope this chapter brought you some joy. Like always, please tell me what you thought in the comments. I've been going back and forth on whether to make this a stand-alone fic or to continue with a sequel when its finally over and the one thing that has been pushing me to do so are the comments. 
> 
> If you want to see that happen, please keep up the good work!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've officially entered the pleasure dome! What else can be expected of two hormonal teenage boys after all?

The days and weeks seemed to be going by faster than ever before, at least to Johnny. It seemed like only yesterday he was still in California. He was still training at Cobra Kai with Kresse. He was still going to the movies or the mall with his friends and still had a gorgeous girlfriend on his arm.

Now it was November in New Jersey. The only training he did was on the soccer field or inside an empty pool, or if the weather was too much to bear, inside an empty room at the YMCA. He had gone to the mall a couple of times, but no longer was he walking out with bags full of designer clothing. No longer was he sitting on the beach, messing around with his friends. And while he did have someone gorgeous on his arm, it was a boy rather than a girl. 

Not that he was complaining about that part. While he did like Ali and took their relationship seriously, there were definite benefits to dating someone of the same sex. 

Being with another dude meant a new level of understanding. They could joke around, call each other names, and neither expected the other to get mad. He had called Ali dumb once and she spent the remainder of their day together giving him the silent treatment. He called Daniel a straight-up moron and all the other boy did was laugh and flip him off. 

He didn’t have to put in so much effort to impress the guy. They could go down to the arcade and just mess around or continue their lessons. They could just hang out and do guy stuff and that was enough for them both. 

Of course, Johnny wanted to impress Daniel any way he could. He had been showing him a few more advanced moves during one of their lessons and wound up doing a backflip just out of pure habit. You would have thought he walked on water with the way Daniel was flipping out. Johnny practically turned pink right then and there with the way the guy gushed over him. 

All that did was prompt Daniel to try and do the same. Johnny was having heart failure watching the guy try and fail, fearing he was going to snap his neck every time he landed wrong. Johnny didn’t remember the last time he cared about the wellbeing of someone other than himself and his mother, but eventually, he put his foot down and tackled Daniel onto the mat to get his mind off it.

After that, he tried to do more shit to make himself look good in front of the other boy. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. With Ali, all he had to do was dress nicely, open a door for her and not touch her tits during a movie and bam! He was the best boyfriend on the planet. 

Now there really weren’t many dates for them to go on. Or maybe there were and they were just too idiotic to realize it. They weren’t out in the open with their relationship. Johnny was fairly certain his own mom was unaware of what they were doing behind closed doors and that was fine. It was the early 80’s; Johnny was well aware of what people thought about queers. 

Not that Johnny was queer. Or gay. Or maybe he was and he just didn’t give a shit about what people thought about him. He didn’t know if there was a word for him. Daniel went to the library so fucking much he should tell him to pick up a book on the subject. 

It wasn’t that he was ashamed. Daniel Larusso was a stand-up guy and he was damn well proud to be with him, but he knew what was the safer option and while he wished he could do everything with Daniel that he had done with Ali, he knew what would keep the two of them from getting bashed.

Not that anyone could if they tried. It made him smile knowing if any prick tried to kick their asses for being together they could lay them out without breaking a sweat. What could he say? Guys who do karate together, stay together. 

Still, there were things they could do in the dark that made Johnny think he was doing a pretty good job at this whole ‘boyfriend to another boy’ thing. 

When they went to the movies he didn't put his arm around him, at least not completely. Daniel didn’t get to experience the old ‘yawn and put your arm around them’ move, but he did extend his arm to rest against the back of Daniel’s chair, and very subtly he ran the tip of his finger along the nape of Daniel’s neck. Back and forth, back and forth. Just to show that he was there.

There were times when they’d hang out at one or the other place to do homework. Sometimes, when they’d finish and they weren’t in the particular mood to get a bit dirty, they’d just sit together on the couch. Johnny’s personal favorite was laying down with his head on Daniel’s lap. Sometimes he’d listen to his Walkman while Daniel studied. 

Other times Daniel would read aloud to him all while running his fingers through Johnny’s golden locks. 

They had held hands a time or two. Not while walking through the mall or while in the hallway at school, but when they had the chance. Some of Daniel’s soccer buddies had snagged tickets for the drive-in theater. A Nightmare on Elm Street was playing and to his surprise, Daniel was a real horror buff. He much preferred action flicks, but he could always get down with some spooky shit. 

There were a few times the movie had made them both jump and since the Firebird didn’t give much room, they settled over just holding hands over the console. It felt nice, just being able to sit there with him, watching a flick with their fingers laced. Daniel had squeezed his hand at one point and he was reminded of another benefit of dating a guy. 

He didn’t have to be gentle with Daniel. Ali would always mention his strength and while Johnny didn’t go out of his way to hurt her there would be times when he'd kiss her too roughly or hold her too tightly. He and Daniel were practically unbreakable together and it left him with the comfortable notion that they really were good together. 

They hadn’t done anything else other than kiss one another, but that was fine. Making out and just feeling the effects he had on Daniel was enough to please Johnny. They’d get to that part when the time was right. For now, he liked taking it easy. 

Johnny wasn’t really the cuddling type but when his mom was working late and he wouldn’t have to pick her up until 2 in the morning, sometimes Daniel would stay over with him. They’d lay on the couch together, watching whatever they could find on the TV. They’d go from sitting upright to laying on their sides, with Johnny taking the role as the big spoon. There had been a time or two when Daniel fell asleep like with, his head resting against Johnny’s arm while the other was wrapped around his waist. 

There was no secret that Daniel Larusso was a good-looking kid but when he was fast asleep like that he was Goddamn adorable. Whenever Johnny would sleep over Daniel’s place he’d always take the trundle bed and Daniel would usually lay on his stomach, watching Johnny from above. He would reach down and run his fingers over Johnny’s arms just to keep close. 

When Daniel would stay at his place, they would share his bed. Johnny was taller and built a bit wider thanks to his muscles so after they had settled in his mom went out and bought him a size appropriate bed with some of the money from his trust. He missed being able to splurge on things and more or less buy whatever he wanted but he was glad to see the money Sid had given him (or really he had taken from Sid) was being used for something good. 

Before they had gotten together they would sleep head to feet, which usually resulted in Daniel accidentally kicking Johnny at some point or another in the nose with his toes or the heel of his foot. 

Johnny didn’t really know how they ended up switching. He guessed it happened one night when Daniel was showing him some comic book and they had both fallen asleep reading it. When they woke up, the first thing he saw was Daniel’s face beside his own and not his perfectly pedicured toes. 

After that, any time Daniel slept at his place, they were usually shoulder to shoulder, though they would wind up closer as the night went on. Johnny didn’t know how it happened but he had woken up on more than one occasion with Daniel in his arms or laying on his chest. Not that he minded at all. The Irish Spring shampoo he used was a hell of a lot nicer than the cucumber melon shit that so many girls in their school were pouring on themselves. 

And whether he wanted to admit it or not, Daniel could be a clingy little fucker, sometimes refusing to break away no matter how much Johnny needed to leave the bed. His mom never bothered them, allowing them to have their privacy, and if she did she would knock and wait for him to respond before entering, giving them a chance to look decent before she came in. 

All in all, being with Daniel took some adjustments but was definitely worth the effort. 

Thanksgiving had come around faster than expected and while this year things would certainly be different, neither he nor his mom minded much. Sid didn’t have any family so Thanksgiving usually meant going over to Ali’s and answering every single question her parents asked him with a response he knew they’d like. When they spoke about college and career, he said whatever they wanted to hear. 

Ali wanted to be a doctor and he’d usually lean somewhere along the lines. Johnny had thought about what he wanted to do and found that sports medicine didn’t seem too bad. He sure as hell didn’t have the brains to become a doctor but fixing up kids who got injured during some sport didn’t seem too out of his league. 

It had been something to think about as the end of the year got closer and closer. This year, he’d still be spending it with his significant other as Daniel’s mom had invited them over to celebrate. Normally they do it with his enormous amount of cousins but her mother’s brother ended up winning some vacation at work so it was just the two of them this year. 

Lucille and Laura had become fast friends by this point, usually going out to get their nails done or grab dinner, with or without the boys tagging along. It was nice to see his mom so happy again and to have an actual friend. All the other wives at the country clubs seemed so fake as if they were trying to one-up one another. Lucille was good for his mom and he couldn’t be happier for her. 

The two women had made a deal, insisting that the Larusso’s made the turkey and the sides so long as the Lawrence’s brought the dessert. He and his mom got up bright and early to bake all the pies and even sprung for cheesecake from the diner. His mom put on a dress that didn’t scream ‘housewife’ and he wore a tie for the first time since they last went to some shindig at the country club. 

When they got to the Larusso household, everything felt so warm and genuine. Lucille kissed his cheek and called him handsome, shoving him in the direction of the living room where Daniel was sitting on the couch watching the football game. Daniel glanced over to him once but mostly kept his eyes on the screen. 

Johnny wasn’t much of a sports fan which seemed to be another excuse for Sid’s disappointment. Karate was an art form that didn’t need cheerleaders in skimpy skirts to make it interesting. Sure, he could tackle someone in gym class or kick a ball if he needed to but the interest just wasn’t there. 

Daniel on the other hand loved football, just as he did soccer. So Johnny plopped down beside him, completely unphased by his boyfriend choosing to focus on the Cowboys vs the Patriots. He did however chuckle as Daniel’s disappointment, earning him the middle finger from the dark-haired lad. 

When it was time to eat they sat together across from their mothers, just as they usually did. Johnny wasn’t sure when they had started doing that. When they went from sitting beside their respected parents to switching sides so they could be together. Things just happened and everyone seemed to roll with it. 

They said grace and what they were thankful for, with both Lucille and his mom thanking the good lord for their health and happiness. Daniel and Johnny took a different approach, vocalizing their thankfulness for the YMCA being closed on national holidays and for the American Football Association for putting on a good game. 

Both their mothers just rolled their eyes, leaving Johnny and Daniel smirking like the brats they were. 

Johnny didn’t remember having a home-cooked meal on Thanksgiving. Back when it was him and his mom, they would usually splurge for whatever restaurant they hadn’t been able to go to prior. One year it was TGIFridays and then another it was some Chinese place that served amazing dumplings. 

Sid would usually order in from someplace if the club was doing anything they’d just go there. Johnny had forgotten what it felt like to eat at a place where you didn’t have to remember what to do with your napkin and which fork to use. 

Lucille was a fantastic cook, making their Thanksgiving feast even more enjoyable. Everything was cooked to perfection and she was sure to give her son credit for his amazing addition with the yams. 

When they were all finished and full, Johnny and Daniel were sent off to Daniel’s room to relax before dessert. They had offered to do the dishes but the ladies shooed them away. Daniel made some crack about them wanting to get wine drunk before closing the door, leaving them alone for the first time of the night. 

Daniel moved to lay back on his bed, sighing with content. “I don’t know about you but I could use a nap about now.” 

“Oh yeah, because you did so much.” Johnny snorted, moving to sit beside him on the tiny bed. 

“Hey, I did a lot today. I cleaned this entire house! And those yams you had two helpings of? All my doing.” 

“Make sure to remember me when you get the Medal of Honor from Reagen.” 

Daniel looked over to him then, those big brown eyes taking him in. Daniel had cleaned up nicely for the holiday. He was still wearing a flannel shirt, but this one was pressed and wrinkle-free. He had it buttoned all the way up, making Johnny wonder if he had even bothered with a tee-shirt underneath. His hair was combed back, leaving him as dapper as ever. 

“You look nice, by the way.” He said after a moment. 

Johnny smiled smugly as he leaned back. “I know.” He replied. “Your mom called me handsome. Guess I have a way with the Larusso family.” 

Daniel snorted, reaching up to touch Johnny’s tie, his thumb running over the design of it. “Yeah well, my ma doesn’t know what you look like under all this.” 

“I hate to break it to you, Danielle, but your mom has seen me shirtless.” Johnny pointed out. 

“She hasn’t seen other places.” 

Johnny rolled his eyes playfully. “Neither have you.” He reminded him. Normally when they would have their sleepovers Johnny would usually go shirtless but kept on his pajama pants to be polite and comfortable. Despite some heavy-handed makeout sessions, neither had removed more than just their shirts and now and then, their pants. 

There was a look then, a glimmer in Daniel’s eyes that Johnny didn’t recognize, not right away at least. There was a hungry fire simmering behind those brown eyes and Johnny was about to address it when Daniel took a page from Cobra Kai and made the first move. 

“Wanna change that?” He asked. Johnny watched as Daniel’s bottom lip slipped between those pearly white teeth of his and that move alone was enough for him to know he was a goner. 

Daniel didn’t wait for a reply. He wrapped his hand around Johnny’s tie and tugged him forward, meeting him halfway for a smothering kiss. Johnny followed in suit, his hand coming up to both cradles the back of Daniel’s head and tangle his fingers into those dark locks of hair. 

This part they had done before. The vicious makeout sessions, both far too eager to control themselves. Hands would roam but they never went too far though tonight seemed to be going a little differently.

Johnny seemed to have some new things to be thankful for, as an adventurous Daniel Larusso. 

They maneuvered themselves carefully, both trying to fit on Daniel’s tiny ass bed. They would end up in a position that worked, with Daniel on top of Johnny, with his hand going lower and lower. His hand had grazed him a time or two but this time he was searching, reaching out to palm Johnny through his dress pants. 

“Christ Danny,” Johnny muttered as they pulled their mouths away. 

He rarely ever used the nickname, but now and then he would slip up and it would cause a shutter to escape the other boy’s mouth. 

Daniel moved his hand further back up, the tips of his fingers lingering against the buckle of his belt. “Do you want me to?” 

“Do I want your hand on my dick? I don’t know, I really gotta think about it.” Johnny shot back. 

“Don’t be an ass, alright? Yes or no.” 

“There is very little I won’t let you do to me, Larusso,” Johnny replied, wanting Daniel to fully understand that he was serious. 

“Good to know,” Daniel replied, getting to work on Johnny’s belt and zipper. 

They continued to kiss as Daniel’s hand crept into his pants. He didn’t take them off but just opened them enough to see himself. It should have been odd feeling another hand on his dick that wasn’t his own, Daniel didn’t moisturize the way his ex did. His hands were rough from the punches he would throw and he was certainly a lot stronger than Ali.

But he knew what he was doing despite having not done this before. They had talked about it, both admitting what they had and hadn’t done. Johnny was the more experienced of the two though Daniel was without a doubt the most eager.

He started slow, starting from the tip and moving down to the base. His hand felt nice on him. And the way he moved, so calculated and careful, it was a nice change of pace from what he usually did to himself when he was alone in his room or the shower.

Johnny wondered if this was how Daniel liked to be touched. The very idea of Daniel lying in this very bed jerking off, possibly to thoughts of him, was enough to almost push Johnny off the edge. 

Eventually, Daniel’s mouth slipped away from Johnny’s and he went directly to his neck where he began kissing and sucking a handful of marks onto him. Johnny has given him a hickey on a complete accident when they first got together. 

They were just messing around and he hadn’t been aware of how hard he was sucking on his neck. Poor guy had to dig out his old turtle neck to avoid his mom from seeing. Daniel has yet to pay him back for the act though he guessed now was the time.

Daniel sped up his hand, matching the motion with the speed of his suction as he bit down onto Johnny’s neck. 

“Christ, Danny.” He muttered, arching his body closer to Daniel’s.

Daniel must have taken his praise to heart because he seemed to be kicking it up a notch. He pulled back then, licking slowly along his palm before grasping Johnny’s dick for the second time. It was different now, the bit of moisture certainly making a difference.

Johnny’s brain felt like it was going to short circuit. Back when it was him and his ex he had always been the one putting in the effort. He didn’t want to brag or anything but she certainly enjoyed it, but she also wasn’t one that likes to give him. And that was fine. With the actual sex part, Johnny was able to get them both off but never had she just so casually offered to rub one out for him.

And here was Daniel, so ready and willing. Johnny has never just laid back and enjoyed himself but thanks to the dark-haired Greek god beside him, he was finally getting the chance. 

Daniel began twisting his hand as he went up and down, a move that not even Johnny had worked on. He would occasionally pause and the tip of his thumb would run across Johnny’s head, smearing the bits of precum and using it as a lubricant to push him further along.

It wasn’t long before Johnny felt that all too familiar tug and as Daniel continued to suck mark after mark onto his neck, those sharp teeth digging into his skin, he found himself getting closer to the edge. 

“Come on, baby. Lemme see what you got.” Daniel whispered hotly in his ear.

Baby. It was new and he’d probably make a memo about it later but right now Daniel was way too fucking lost to do anything about it. 

“Yes, yes, fuck!” Johnny hissed out loudly. He turned his head, his mouth seeking over Daniel’s as he finished on his hand.

There was no blissful afterthought however because Daniel’s mouth didn’t stay on his own. In an instant, they were gone. Daniel all together was gone, having fallen on the floor as the door swung open. There was a loud gasp, one that Johnny recognized right off the bat, and then the door was slammed closed once more. 

Johnny barely had a moment to process what had happened, barely had the time to tuck his dick back into his pants before Daniel’s mom stormed into the room. Daniel was on the floor still, his hair tousled and mouth red, and Johnny, though no longer hanging limp for the word to see, was still partially undressed with large marks on his neck. 

It didn’t take a genius to know what had just gone down.

“Ma, I can explain!” Daniel began though Lucille wasn’t having it.

She waved her hand, silencing him at once. “Fix yourself up and come outside. Two minutes. Both of you.” Her eyes landed on Johnny for just a moment and a shiver of fear ran down his spine. 

When the door closed again, Johnny just sat there, too fearful to move. “What is it called in when you kill yourself with honor?”

“ _ Seppuku _ .” Daniel replied.

“Yeah, I’m about two seconds away from doing that.”

“Maybe she didn’t see anything?”

“I hate to break it to you, Danny but my dick was literally in the palm of your hand. Can’t really miss it.”

They had two minutes until their impending doom. Less than the more they just sat there. Daniel was the first to move, going to circle the bed until he was standing in front of it. “It’s not like they weren’t going to find out anyway.” He pointed out. “Eventually we were going to tell them.”

“Eventually.” Johnny pointed out. Not on Thanksgiving of all days and certainly not after his own mother walked in on Daniel jerking him off.

“Not like we can hide from it. Might as well face the music with our heads held high.” 

“Or we could make a run for it.” Johnny offered lamely.

Daniel rolled his eyes at the suggestion. “Cobras don’t run away.” Daniel pointed out. 

Johnny wanted to point out that he was a cobra anymore. He had been replaced and forgotten about. An utter disgrace to Kreese for several reasons and he was sure this would be one of them.

“Cobras can’t run. They don’t have feet.” Johnny replied cheekily.

Daniel pinches the bridge of his nose. Johnny wondered if this was the first time he had ever annoyed the brunet. Only fair after the week's Johnny had to put up with Daniel before they really became friends.

“Look we can either go out there and face them or you can make the run for it and we’ll handle this separately. But they saw what they saw. I’m in if you are, John.”

Johnny wondered how much time they must have spent together for him to rub off on Daniel. Johnny had always been the more serious of the two while Daniel went with the flow of it all. Now Daniel was ready to face their fears and their moms.

Johnny knew there was no going back at this point. He could deny all he wanted and he was sure his mother wouldn’t push the issue but he didn’t want to be that person. He didn’t want to deny Daniel anything. So if the kid wanted to tell his mom then Johnny would tell her. Not like he hasn’t already shown her. 

Daniel offered his hand then and for the moment it felt like he was offering Johnny the world. With a heavy sigh, Johnny took it, letting the shorter male pull him up and off the bed. With one last breath, he let Daniel lead him out of the room and into the kitchen where their moms were waiting. They were still holding hands as they took their seats across from them, neither saying anything at first. 

“It’s polite to knock, you know,” Johnny said, leaning back in the seat as he looked at the two women. 

He could feel Daniel staring at him, being bold enough to say such a thing to the women who raised them after what they had just walked in on.

“I did know,” his mother replied gently. “I heard you shout yes, so I opened the door.”

“Apparently he wasn’t talking to you,” Lucille muttered with a pointed glance. “So. Were you planning on telling us about this?” She lifted her french tipped finger, gesturing between the two of them. 

“Of course we were,” Daniel answered.

“Are you . . . is it experimental?” She questioned.

“What? God no. Were...we’re together okay?”

It was the first time he heard Daniel say it aloud. It felt strange, knowing it wasn’t something they were fully ready to reveal, though it brought a strange amount of comfort to Johnny knowing that Daniel wasn’t lying and playing it off as two dumb kids messing around.

“How long has it been going on?” 

“It hasn’t even been a month, ma.” Daniel went on to say. Johnny did the math in his head. Their one month anniversary would be in six days. Johnny didn’t know if they were supposed to celebrate or if they even would at this point. 

He wasn’t sure how this conversation would go down. Daniel’s family came from a strong Italian Catholic background. There was a damn crucifix on the wall and the lord's prayer was hanging in the background. Daniel was fucking named after the name book! Daniel and him never really got into talking about their beliefs though Johnny wasn’t even sure what he was anymore. 

“We just want you both to know we understand.” His own mom pipped in. “You’re both growing into young men, with raging hormones. This is a confusing time for you both.” 

Johnny’s face fell then and the blue eyes he shared with his mother singled her out from across the table. “You think we’re  _ confused _ ?” 

Laura reached out then, placing her hand on his forearm. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She insisted. 

“You’re kids! Your bodies are growing and your minds are going haywire. You want to do things you may not be ready for and we just want you to know we get it.” 

Daniel and Johnny exchanged a look, with the former raising his hand as if he was in the middle of class. “Are we in trouble?” 

“We’re not happy with what we walked in on but I don’t think I have the grounds to punish you,” Lucille commented. 

“You know your boss Ronnie?” Laura mentioned. “He and Mike are together. They’re visiting some friends in the city right now. They are also gay.” 

“So what, you think it runs in the family?” Johnny scoffed, pulling his hand away from hers. 

“I’m saying it’s more common than you think. This? What is going on between you two? It’s completely normal.” 

“Do you think that too, ma?” Daniel asked quietly. 

“You’re my son. I don’t think I’ll ever want to see what I saw, but that’s not because you were doing it with Johnny. Boy, girl. Yourself. It’s natural, Daniel. Besides, I should have known. You’ve always liked the pretty blonds.”

Daniel slumped down in his chair, hiding his face in his hands. Johnny would be just as embarrassed had he not been so concerned about moving on. 

Johnny raised his own hand this time. “Is there any possible way we could just pretend this never happened?” 

Lucille and Laura glanced at one another, unspoken words settling on the tips of their tongues. “Are you two being careful?” Laura asked them. 

“You know your cousin Louie works down at the convenience store, Daniel. Anything you need, he can get for you.” 

Daniel groaned, his face turning scarlet once again as the realization of what it was she was actually talking about came over him. 

“I just don’t want you to be afraid to ask! If you’re brave enough to be doing what you’re doing you have to be brave enough to use the proper safety precautions.” 

“We haven’t done anything like that!” Daniel swore. 

“I wouldn’t say that. Laura and I saw plenty in that bedroom.”

“And that was the first time we had done anything. Look, when we get to that point, we’ll make sure we’re careful.” 

Johnny looked to Daniel then, noticing how he said when. Not if. Like this whole thing would blow over and they’d carry on together. 

“All right. Fine. Now. Go watch your hands, both of you. Hot water! Lots of soap.” 

Daniel groaned, pushing to stand up from the table. “We know how to watch our hands, ma!”

“And wash your mouth out while you’re at it!” 

The rest of the night went as normal as it had earlier. They ate their desserts and Daniel still had his eyes fixated on the television, making commentary towards whatever it was the announcers were saying. Their mothers were sitting in the kitchen, drinking their coffee and gossiping about this and that. 

Johnny decided to leap then, figuring if it was to be all out in the open, at least in their own homes, then why not make the most of it? He didn’t bother with the whole yawn trick, knowing they were well past that point. So instead he settled beside Daniel on the couch and put his arm around him with purpose, pulling the smaller boy into his space.

Daniel moved in without a second thought, modeling comfortably into him and relaxing in the new position as he continued to rave about the team of his choice losing the game. 

When he and his mom got home for the night, she went into her room to change, preparing to hang her dress and steam it the following day. Johnny had been in his room, standing in the center only half undressed. His mind was like a live wire and despite the obvious exhaustion traveling through his veins, he pushed his way out of his room and into his mothers. 

“What is it, honey?” She asked from where she was sitting. Her makeup was gone and her hair was undone but she still looked so lovely. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He asked her bluntly. “I know what people think. I know the dangers and stigma.” 

Laura glances away from her mirror, offering a sympathetic smile. “I should have known something was going on. You’ve changed since we first got here. You’re more comfortable now. I thought maybe it was the karate. You may not be with the Cobras but you were still practicing and with Daniel, you were able to show off.”

Johnny knew she wasn’t too far off. Practicing karate was just an added benefit to being around Daniel. They had done so much more than just perfect the moves. Johnny was more than just his sensei and Daniel was more than just his student. They meant something to one another and it was clear his mom could see that.

Laura sighed softly, turning so she could face him properly. “Do you want to know something? When you had your first karate match, I was terrified. You were so small and so gentle, I feared the worst.”

Johnny thought back to that day. He was only a few weeks into his lessons with Kresse and his spirit hadn’t yet been broken by the bastard. He had been destroyed, laid out on the mat in a matter of seconds. 

“Last year, when you won your second tournament, I was just as terrified. You’re not small and you’re not gentle, but you’re my son. I am always going to worry about you, Johnny. I’m always going to be scared for you.” 

“Mom,” 

Laura stood then, moving around the bed to stand in front of him. He was taller than her now. He remembered looking up so he could see her eyes after the match, too embarrassed to hug her in front of his sensei. 

“I want you to be happy, Johnny. Before anything else. Karate was scary but it made you happy. And being with Daniel is scary too. But if he makes you happy, then I will support you.” 

Johnny swallowed hard, feeling the threatening wave of emotions prepare to crash into him. There were so many things he wanted to say, wanting to do. He knew there would be people in this world that thought he was sick and there would always be the underlying fear of watching whatever the fuck was going on in the city, but he knew it wasn’t a threat he truly had to worry about. At least not right now when it was just him and Daniel. 

Johnny was young and the relationship was fresh as a daisy but Johnny would be lying if he said he didn’t want it to always be just him and Daniel. 

“Mom,” He released, his voice cracking. 

Laura seemed to understand, taking the step forward so he could wrap her in his embrace. Johnny didn’t remember the last time he hugged his mother; truly hugged her. Not for a photo opt or because she demanded it. But because at the end of the day he was still just a boy who needed his mother. 

And after all the shit they had gone through, they were still together and still okay. 

And at the end of the day, maybe that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me in the comments exactly how you feel. 
> 
> Obviously, I took some liberties when it comes to Lucille and Laura. I know not everyone is as accepting of their child being in a same-sex relationship, especially when they're only teenagers and it's the mid-80's, but I like to believe both love their son enough to accept them as they are as I wish all parents would. 
> 
> If your parent hasn't accepted you, then I am your mom now. Done deal. 
> 
> Also, follow me on twitter so we can interact! All I do is cry about Billy Zabka, so you're in for a treat! Twitter: AmyleeDeacon


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I give the warning that sexual conduct is ahead.

Johnny found that there wasn’t much of a difference in dating Daniel after their moms found out. Some adjustments had to be made but none that were completely out of line. 

They could still spend the night whenever they wanted though Lucille had made it very clear that when she was home and Johnny was over they had to keep the door open if they went to Daniel’s room. It was kind of a drag but they understood and didn’t fight it. His own mom allowed them to have a bit more privacy but only because Johnny’s walls were paper thin and they knew they’d never be able to get away with anything without being heard.

Both their moms had been serious when they said they supported the relationship. It was obvious there was a level of understanding that the two heterosexual women would never funny reach but they didn’t question their son's attraction to one another, choosing to just be pleased the boys were happy and careful.

And they were careful. Incredibly so. After Thanksgiving, they hadn’t gone much further than hand jobs and vicious make out sessions. They were thankful for the winter weather allowing them to cover up the marks they left behind a lot easier.

Johnny had discovered early on in their relationship that Daniel was practically a mini Hoover, as he had covered a good percentage of his chest and neck in hickeys. Heavy sweaters and turtlenecks were to be worn just to keep them out of sight.

They seemed to teeter back and forth between being completely blasé about their sex life or jumping one another like maniacs. 

Some days they would just be hanging out, playing video games on Daniel’s console, or working on homework. They would sit close or hold hands and they’d always kiss before departing but that was about it. 

Others however it seemed like they were almost unhinged. There would be times Johnny would just look at Daniel and the burning deep inside his belly would be almost too much to resist. There had been plenty of times when they’d tumble on one of their beds, rushing to get undressed and get off before their respected mother came home. 

They had gotten pretty good at jerking one another off, both finding a rhythm that just seemed to fit them both. They would pant in one another’s ear or whisper the dirtiest things imaginable before finishing in a hot, sweaty, sticky mess. 

They would lay there for a few moments before eventually shaking off their sore muscles and cleaning up. 

And then there was the time at the Y. Johnny would never forget it and the fact that he hadn’t been seen and/or fired was a miracle.

It was one of their usual lessons. Johnny had gotten off of work and the place was pretty much dead. They kept the heat on throughout the winter so despite it being brutal outside, the inside was hot as all hell. Tee shirts and shorts were still suggested and that’s exactly what they both wore. 

Except Daniel had shorts that just seemed to cut off in all the right places and Johnny had decided to go with a tank top that fit his body just right. They looked good, okay? But that wasn’t the worst of it.

They did their usual workouts, which included stretching and jumping rope. Johnny had never been fond of the latter, always finding it rather girly but seeing Daniel jump around certainly had its perks.

Daniel had also come up with a way to bring music into their workouts, playing whatever song he could find and have them punch or kick the standing bag to the beat. They found that Kiss’ “I Was Made For Loving You” to be a particularly good match for this.

Sometimes when they were in good moods and were just messing around they would trade kisses between stretches. On a particularly adorable day, Daniel had held Johnny’s feet while he worked on his sit-ups and kissed him every moment he came up.

On this day they kept it simple, really wanting to focus on the hand-to-hand style that they hadn’t really done much of. Johnny had been worried about accidentally hurting him, but Daniel insisted he was ready, persistently pointing out that Daniel couldn’t learn properly if he didn’t properly practice.

It started easy enough. Basic rules and regulations. Stay in the ring, no dirty moves. Daniel had demanded that Johnny does not go easy on him and he did the best to put down his worries and do just that.

Johnny knocked him down pretty easily in the first few rounds. He was good at deflecting, having read about this circular motion in one of his books, but he was too eager to step around and move. 

Daniel had told him all about how being stiff as a board wasn’t going to help anybody and that if you could sway on the mat and avoid getting hit, you were causing more exhaustion for your opponent.

Cue to him blasting Journey and dancing around Johnny’s living room trying to get him to dance to show him how to move his body the way he wanted him to.

The technique was cute and definitely worked for Daniel. And Johnny knew where his weak spots were, using that to his advantage. Was it technically playing dirty? Of course but it also taught Daniel to work harder on those places to make them less weak.

In the end, Daniel did wind up getting him on his back. Johnny went in for a kick, only for Daniel to slide down and trap Johnny’s foot between his legs. He twisted his entire body over, dragging Johnny down with him and slamming him onto the mat with ease. He pinned him there, straddling him to keep him on the ground.

They sat there, both in equal amounts of shock and excitement over his triumphant move. Johnny stared at those big brown eyes, wide and blazing before surging up to kiss the boy. Daniel met him halfway, picking up exactly what Johnny was laying down. 

They sat there for a moment before Johnny flipped them over, slamming Daniel down onto the mat in the process. Daniel didn’t seem to mind over, wrapping his legs around Johnny’s waist to trap him there. 

They had found themselves in similar positions before there was something different this time. The room was quiet and hot, their clothes were tight and their bodies were pressed together in such a way all Johnny had to do was rock forward….

And that was exactly what he did. He rocked forward, grinding against Daniel just to feel the other boy against him. With his ex he always had to be so careful because of how delicate she was but with Daniel, it was nothing but rock hard muscle pressed against him. 

Daniel followed in suit, chanting his hips up against Johnny’s in desperation, and before they knew it they were just lying on the floor, swallowing each other’s moans as they rutted against one another desperately. 

It was the closest they had gotten to actual fucking since they started being more physical and was by far the hottest thing Johnny has ever done before. And he was no virgin, all right? But there was just something so sensual about Daniel. The way he arched against him, the little moans and whines that escaped his mouth. The way he would say Johnny’s name in that breathless toned way. 

They wound up using the showers after peeling themselves off the mat. Just a quick rinse with no hanky panky; to be honest he had cum so hard from the grinding alone Johnny was sure his dick would be out of commission for the rest of the night.

Daniel ended up spending the night after that. They left the YMCA and headed back to his place after grabbing food on the way. They got settled in his bed, with him going shirtless with pajama pants and a chest scattered in hickeys and bite marks. And Daniel had one of his shirts and another pair of shorts. 

They relaxed in the way they normally would, shoulder to shoulder until finally sleep began to take over and all their guards were down. Daniel would curl into him with ease, with his head nestled under Johnny’s chin as it fits so perfectly. 

Now winter was upon them and the Christmas season had begun. Daniel didn’t hold back when it came to making fun of Johnny’s inability to adjust to the cold weather. He would be cursing on their way into and out of school every day, consistently forgetting his gloves because it wasn’t something he thought of often enough.

Daniel would tease him, calling him a baby before taking his hands and blowing on them to warm them up. His mom had surprised him with a new coat, which worked out perfectly since he never got his Cobra Kai one back from Daniel. Not that he was complaining. 

It wasn’t a perfect fit for him on account of Johnny being built a bit wider but he looked good in it. Now and then he’d catch him wearing it and Johnny’s heart would get stuck in his throat.

He had been preparing for the upcoming holiday, wanting to get his boyfriend something good. With his ex, it had always been easy. She wanted to be a doctor so he got her a book on medicine the first year and a Tiffany bracelet to go with it. Last year he got her a faux skull for her to keep on her desk and Chanel #5 perfume. He was certain he would have gotten her a promise ring this year and had been very glad to have dodged that bullet.

This year was different. Daniel wasn’t difficult to shop for but he didn’t want to just get him something that would be expected. Sure he would have gone with something soccer or even karate related but he wanted to be better than that.

So he scoured the mall, trying his best to find something that would work on his budget. This wasn’t the first time he still wished he had Sid’s credit card but it would certainly be the first time he wished it for someone’s benefit over his own.

In the end, he found something he quite liked only for it to blow up in his face when he was reminded that Daniel’s birthday was just a week before Christmas. Getting one perfect gift was bad enough but two? 

Johnny mewled over it as the day came closer and closer. When it finally arrived he hadn’t actually been able to see Daniel. Not really at least. They had school but his mom took him out for breakfast beforehand so he didn’t need a ride. Pretty much everyone crowded around him in class and at lunch so when they were together it wasn’t like they could really enjoy it. After school, his mom was taking him to his driver's test, and then he was having dinner with his cousins. 

Johnny had to work so it wasn’t like he was just lounging around missing the guy but he’d be lying if he said he wished he could be there for him. 

It wasn’t even the following day they got to do anything or even the day after that. They had to wait for all the way until the following Saturday, promptly four days after the event.

Johnny didn’t mind so much as he was off from work while Lucille was picking up a double in exchange for Christmas Eve off. 

Daniel kissed him the moment he walked through the door, causing him to nearly drop the box he was holding. 

“Easy tiger. Tackling me won’t get you anywhere.” 

“I haven’t kissed you in over a week. I think I deserve a bit of affection here, John.” Daniel told him, holding onto Johnny’s neck as he kissed him again. 

The kiss lingered for a long moment before finally, they both broke away, smiling like a bunch of idiots.

“Lemme see it.” Johnny requested. 

Daniel eagerly dug into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out his wallet to show off the paper copy of his official driver's license. 

“Way to go, Larusso.” Johnny cheered, planting a kiss to the top of Daniel’s head. “Can’t wait to see the picture.”

Daniel tossed his wallet onto the coffee table, going to wrap his arms around his waist. 

“Are you gonna wish me a happy birthday?”

“I already did that on your birthday.” Johnny reminded him. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I guess. Missed you though.” 

Johnny smiled then, finding himself wondering if anybody had ever actually missed him before. Did his ex? Did his friends? He knew his mother would and he knew Daniel would. Sometimes it was just nice to have a reminder.

“Missed you too,” Johnny swore, tipping his head down to rest his forehead against Daniel’s. “Ready for your present?”

Daniel lit up then and he took Johnny’s hand and led him over to the couch. Johnny sat Daniel down, going to place the nicely wrapped box on the coffee table.

“So, seeing as someone told me their birthday very last minute I wasn’t able to find something as fantastic as this gift right here. I’m not gonna give you a birthday gift and then shaft you for Christmas, so you get a choice.”

“What kind of choice?” 

“Which present you want to unwrap. One today and then the other on Christmas.”

Daniel cocked his head to the side, squinting his eyes as he looked to the blond. “But there is only one present.” 

Johnny looked over, smirking as he went into his pocket and pulled out a bow. He ripped off the adhesive side and knelt to the ground beside the coffee table, smacking the bow directly onto his lips.

He watched as Daniel’s eyes widened suddenly, the realization of what Johnny was offering him hitting him like a MAC truck.

“I get to choose one,” Daniel mentioned, lifting a hand to gesture. “That box. Or you?”

Johnny bobbed his head, yes.

“You would be my present?” 

Johnny hummed in response. It hadn’t been a very original idea and he did have a backup if it all blew up in his face but he figured it was clever enough. After all, what guy doesn’t want some fun for his birthday?

Daniel certainly seemed to, as he was quick to make his decision. Scrambling forward he pulled the bow from Johnny’s mouth, signifying the unwrapping before pulling Johnny on for a kiss.

Johnny didn’t waste a single second, wrapping his arms around Daniel and holding him closely. He stood then, lifting Daniel with him. The smaller male was quick on his feet and wrapped his legs around Johnny once again, neither breaking the kiss even after Johnny began moving, taking Daniel back to his room. He had never attempted to carry Daniel before, but it wasn’t too much for a strain for him. 

He walked blindly through the Larusso household, using mostly his memory to get them to Daniel’s room. Once inside, he kicked the door closed and tossed the other boy on the bed. Daniel pouted at the loss of Johnny but was quick to shift his gaze as Johnny proceeded to undress before him. 

He followed in suit, pulling off his shirt and scrambling to remove his belt and jeans. It was an adorable sight for Johnny, standing above him as the shorter male twisted and turned on the bed, wanting to get naked as quickly as possible. When he got down to his boxers, Johnny stopped him then. Despite getting a bit frisky and friendly with their hands, neither had ever stripped down further than that. If this was really going to be their first time, Johnny wanted to do the honors. 

He climbed onto the bed, careful to maneuver his body so he didn’t slip and fall right off. He found Daniel’s mouth again, kissing him deeply. “This is all for you,” Johnny insisted, turning his head so he could kiss along his jaw. “Just sit back and relax, Danny.” 

He moved downwards then, kissing, and licking, and sucking a jagged line from Daniel’s neck, down his chest and across his pecs. He would occasionally pause to bite him along his hips, marking him in a place nobody else would ever actually see. 

When he reached his goal point, Johnny hooked his fingers into the top hem of Daniel’s boxers, pulling them down inch by inch, going as slowly as possible just to toy with him. Daniel had teased him more than a handful of times so it was only fair that Johnny got a bit of payback. 

When he finally did get them off, Johnny allowed himself to take a moment and marvel at the sight of Daniel. Every single part of the guy was gorgeous so he more or less knew what he was expecting. Johnny had seen a dick other than his own before thanks to late-night swims on the beach or the locker room at school, so it wasn’t a total culture shock for him to see Daniel’s. 

Johnny didn’t know if it was proper to call a dick pretty or if there was even a good word to describe a dick other than being a dick, but the sight as a whole was welcoming to Johnny. His eyes flickered back to Daniel’s, who was watching him tensely. He licked his lips out of habit, causing the dark-haired boy to groan. 

“Fucking tease, Johnny,” Daniel muttered quietly. 

“You know it, baby.” He replied, snickering as he reached out and took hold of Daniel.

He had touched him like this before, both boys having spent many nights huddled together on one of their beds or inside Johnny’s car with their hands shoved down one another's pants. The maker of the Firebird really didn’t put much effort into making it sex-friendly on the inside, but the two had made it work.

Johnny had more or less become a pro at jerking Daniel off, knocking exactly how he liked to be handled. Slow and first, but then speeding up with a twist-off as he got to the top. Johnny knew exactly how to make Daniel putty in his hands, but tonight he blamed on maximizing that tenfold. 

Johnny still didn’t know if there was a word for what he was. Johnny still didn’t know if he was attracted to men other than Daniel. He never found himself looking at anyone else, never needing to. Sure, sometimes he’d be at work and some lady would be leaving a yoga class and his eyes would follow the tight outfit as she walked by but it didn’t have the same effect on him as it used to. 

As if his brain was aware of the attraction but his body wasn’t pulling him in that direction. Now the only thing on his mind was  _ DanielDanielDaniel _ and he was fine with that. Suffice to said, he had no idea if he’d ever been interested in having sex with another man but having it with Daniel seemed like second nature. 

So when Johnny bent his head down and flicked his tongue along the tip of Daniel’s dick, no bells were going off. No sirens screaming that this wasn’t something he was supposed to be doing. Getting Daniel off was his main objective and both his body and mind understood that. 

Johnny had never received a blow job before, having discussed it once with his ex around their first anniversary. She thought it was disgusting and degrading and despite him being happy to perform oral on her, it just wasn’t something he deemed worth arguing about. He had mentioned it to the guys who all said she’d give in overtime since it was her ‘womanly duties to please her man’ or whatever kind of misogynistic bullshit they had been spewing at the time. 

Still, Johnny had watched porn before and got the basic gist of it. Don’t bite down and don’t choke. Seemed easy enough. Johnny Lawrence was always up for a challenge and this was no different. 

He started slow, getting a feel of it. Halfway through he experienced an emotional rollercoaster, realizing that his ex might have been onto something. After all, dicks weren’t really something worth bragging about. Sure, when hard they felt good but any other time they were floppy and kind of an eyesore. Having one in your mouth wasn’t the most appetizing thing in the universe but Daniel quickly changed that for him.

Hearing the sounds he was making and feeling him fight the urge to buck up into Johnny’s mouth to drive him deeper was enough to prove to the blond that this really wasn’t that bad. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little sloppy; sucking dick took a lot of spit and he was sure by the end his jaw was covered in saliva. 

Daniel didn’t seem to mind in the least, however. Or maybe he didn’t notice. He went back and forth between watching and closing his eyes, purely enjoying the gift that Johnny had given him. At one point his hand found it’s hand into Johnny’s hand, those delicate fingers gripping onto his golden locks and pulling roughly. 

Johnny marked that down in his mental logbook as something they both enjoyed. It was enough encouragement to speed up the process, taking him in just a little bit further. Johnny didn’t know how long he was working on him, but he didn’t seem to care. It wasn’t a race for them. He wanted Daniel to enjoy this for as long as it lasted. 

Eventually, the bow had to break, however, and those sweet little whines had become wordier and a sound of warning had been given. Johnny pulled off, still not completely confident with his blow job abilities to not choke himself on Daniel so he lifted his head and let his hand do the rest of the work, his eyes fixated on Daniel’s face as he finished. 

His eyes were closed and his pouty lips were twisted up in a strangled cry. Curiosity had gotten the best of Johnny so when he saw that his hand was partially covered in Daniel’s jizz, he decided to give it a go. It wasn’t the grossest thing in the world. 

Daniel must have been watching him, however, because when Johnny flicked his eyes up, the dark haired boy pounced on him, kissing him desperately. Johnny moaned against his mouth in both protest and enjoyment. The fact that he could kiss him without wanting him to wash his mouth out was by far the hottest thing he had ever experienced. 

Eventually, they peeled away from one another, separating for the moment so they could clean up. Johnny washed his hand and brushed his teeth just for his own satisfaction and Daniel changed out of his jeans and into a pair of sleep pants. Johnny hadn’t expected to sleepover, but who could deny such a doe-eyed babe? 

They settled on the couch because it gave them a bit more room and Johnny dug into the pocket of his jeans to retrieve the backup gift he had prepared in case his blow job skills had completely ruined the surprise. 

It was nothing special, just a neat looking keychain. Hanging from it however was a key to his place. He had never been proud of the place his mom had brought them to, but he was comfortable with Daniel being there and wanted him to be able to come by anytime he needed to. 

Now that Daniel had his license, his mom and he had begun looking into him getting his own car. His mom knew a guy who was going to give them a good deal and she had surprised him with it on his birthday. It wasn't anything to brag about, but the mileage was decent and the price wasn’t too out of their reach. 

Johnny figured if he was going to have to remember to carry his key on him any time he left the house then he might as well carry it on something he’d not want to lose. 

He thought it was pretty lame, but Daniel loved it, kissing him smack on the mouth as he looped it around his finger for safekeeping. 

They relaxed there on the couch, snuggled together under the heavy blanket Daniel’s mom kept on the back of the couch as A Christmas Story played on the tv. 

They had gotten food delivered, just to splurge on the moment and they took turns feeding one another. It was disgustingly sweet and felt wildly natural to him.

And just like that Johnny realized that this year was by far the strongest year of his life, but what a wild ride it could be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this. Only 3 chapters left until the end. What a wild ride, huh? Please tell me what you thought in the comments. I wish I was kidding when I say I check my email every day just to see what you've all said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone. Well, it's not Christmas for us, but it is for LawRusso! Let's see how they celebrate it huh?

Christmas had always been a huge deal for Lawrence’s. Sid had been Jewish but he didn’t actually celebrate it. He had no family nor was he formally religious, so that gave Laura the open window to make their home all about Christmas. Of course, she still wanted her husband to recognize his lineage so she made sure they would have dinner on the eighth night of Hanukkah and made sure to light the menorah, but Johnny had never stepped foot into a temple nor did he really know anything about the Jewish traditions. 

Christmas to him had always seemed a little commercialized, with the way Hallmark pumped out their greeting cards and the mall was open later and later. If you didn’t get a car for Christmas did your significant other even care? Or if your parents didn’t buy you whatever the latest gadget was or the newest pair of boots, did they even really love you? 

His mom used to spoil him every single year, putting both her name and Sid’s on the presents, which got bigger and better year after year. They would have the house mansion professionally decorated with a fifteen-foot tree right in the walkway. They would celebrate Christmas Eve at the country club and then Christmas at home.

Normally he would break away on Christmas to go be with his friends or girlfriend, mostly because of how miserable it was to be around his stepdad. His mom always gave him her blessing, however, so it wasn’t straight up abandonment. 

This year has been dramatically different. His mom had off on Christmas but was working Christmas eve. There wasn’t some huge tree all decorated with expensive ornaments, but rather one shorter than him set up in the corner. They had set it up with Mike when he popped in for a visit, who had surprised his mom with some old ornaments he got from his mom when she had passed away. 

He had only seen one picture of his mom when she was a teenager and that had been from one of her yearbooks in school. There were hand-painted ornaments with baby pictures onto them, or an angel she had sculpted back when she and Mike had been in Sunday school together.

Laura used that angel for the top of their tree, making this feel like the first family Christmas either of them had experienced in a long time. Mike had stayed with him while his mom worked since Daniel and his own mom were heading to Long Island to see his New York family. 

He had guessed his mom dropped the bomb about Daniel to him as he was automatically asking question after question on what he was like, what they did together, and if they had taken a trip out of Fire Island. He guessed it was some right of passage from one older gay to another. 

Mike had always been the one to supply him with the closest thing to a label as he could. He explained all about the LGBT community and how the B stood for bisexual, meaning you liked men and women. Johnny didn’t tell him that he was still trying to figure that out if he really did like guys or Daniel was just some special breed, but it wasn’t worth getting into right now.

He could be Daniel-Sexual behind closed doors but if the rest of the world wanted to call him bi then so be it. There were more important things to worry about. 

When his mom got home from work, they had their Christmas eve dinner, which she had brought home with her from the diner. It was nothing special and since they’d be cooking the following day, they enjoyed having the night off and just hung out watching whatever Christmas special was on TV. 

When the morning came, they woke up lazily, knowing they didn’t have to get ready until around one. They were going to the Larusso’s for the day, as Lucille hated the idea of them spending another holiday on their own. Johnny had baked all the pies the day before and made sure they were packaged up and ready to be put in the car before going to bed. 

Before leaving, Johnny had his mom had exchanged gifts, something that was also a little different than the years prior. Normally, Johnny would just get his mom whatever was popular, usually going with his girlfriend’s advice and buying her whatever perfume was being promoted or whichever designer handbag was in. 

He had gone to the mall with Daniel, who was just as eager to find something for his own mother. Johnny had been saving up his checks from the Y, using the money for nothing but gas for his car and food when he went out. 

Daniel already knew what to get his mother as he had become a pro at it since after his dad got sick, he had done the Christmas shopping the years before. Daniel picked out a pair of shoes that he knew his mom had been eyeing as well as a sterling silver necklace to go with it. 

Johnny was left feeling like an idiot, not having a single idea what to buy his mother until they passed the window and he saw them. 

Every year for Christmas Sid would get his mom a piece of jewelry. It had always been expensive and lackluster. He had this thing about getting her ruby, which was fine but she never really liked the stone. Her favorite had been pearl and he had remembered her telling him about how her final birthday gift from her parents had been this gorgeous pearl bracelet. She had found up selling it after getting pregnant, using the money to find a place to stay until she was able to get a job. 

So when Johnny was thirteen years old and Sid slapped him with a hundred dollar bill to go and buy his mom something nice for Christmas, he went out and got her a pearl necklace. 

It was the first and last genuine gift he had ever purchased her and he wanted to make up for that. 

The earrings he had found were nothing extravagant, but they were genuine freshwater pearls set in white gold. They cost a pretty penny, but it was worth seeing her face as she opened them up. Tears had come to her eyes at the sight of them. 

“I know it’s not what you’d usually get but I wanted you to have something nice to wear.” Gone were the diamonds and gold she used to wear on the daily. Johnny wondered if Sid had gotten rid of it all or if the bastard expected them to come crawling back. 

“Johnny you didn’t have to do this.”

“Of course I did. After everything you’ve sacrificed for me?”

Laura had done so much for Johnny since the moment he came into this world, giving up the life she lived not once, but twice to do what was best for him. Johnny might have had to relearn a couple of things over the years, but knowing his mother was the one good thing in his life would always be a staple for him.

When Johnny opened up his own gift, he found it to be nothing more than a checkbook with his name on it. 

All the money they had used from his trust had been reimbursed back to him, as she had finally made enough in the past couple of months in her paycheck and tips to pay him back for it. 

“Mom, I can’t accept this.” 

“Yes, you can. This is yours, Johnny. To use, however, you please.” She promised him, kissing his cheek and leaving behind the usual lipstick stain. 

His mom put on the earrings, twirling around the room as if she was a debutant being shown off. She wore them when they left for the Larusso household, showing them off to Lucille the moment they got settled. Both Daniel and Johnny were dressed nicely, with the former choosing to forgo the tie this time around. 

Johnny had also gotten Lucille something, just as Daniel had done for Laura, letting the two women open their gifts up before they sat down for dinner. They were given certificates for the local spa, an hour for them to be pampered and praised whenever they wanted. Lucille had also given Johnny a gift, though hers was more of a gag. 

Johnny couldn’t help but laugh as he opened the bag to see a container of bruise cream looking back at him. Back when he was in the Cobras he used to wear any mark he had been given as if it was a battle scar, but now he understood how important it was to protect himself, both on and off the mat. 

Daniel and Johnny had been on the floor, playing on the new gaming system that Daniel received from his grandparents when they were called into dinner. They were making their way into the kitchen and Lucille stopped them in the hallway. 

She gestured upwards, a smirk dancing across her lips as she pointed out the mistletoe. 

“Ma, did you move that?” Daniel accused, looking over to Johnny beside him. “That wasn’t there yesterday.” 

“Must have been one of Santa’s elves.” She insisted. “You know the rules, Daniel. Gotta stick to tradition.” 

Daniel groaned loudly, turning red from sheer embarrassment. Johnny could only chuckle, turning the boy around to face him. “Ah, pucker up, Larusso.” He quipped before leaning down to plant a kiss on him. 

It was strange being so casual in front of their parents, but neither minded too much. The blended family sat down for dinner, enjoying the festive holiday feast Lucille and Daniel had set up for them. When they had dessert they all chomped down on the pies that Johnny had made and just enjoyed the evening by being together. 

When it was time for them to exchange gifts, the boys excused themselves for a little privacy. They used the excuse of Daniel wanting to show off his car, but neither was surprised when the ladies wished them a good night. 

Daniel drove them around for a bit, enjoying the sights of the flickering lights before finally pulling into the parking lot of the school so they could settle and open their gifts. 

Daniel went first, tearing open the paper like a child hoping for a puppy. He cheered with excitement when he saw he had been given a new stereo system for his car, something Johnny had splurged on knowing his car was going to be second hand and could probably use the upgrade. 

Daniel was blushing when he handed Johnny his gift and the blond truly didn’t know what to expect. Certainly not what he had been given, which was a brand new hachimaki, stitched with red thread, perfectly pristine. 

“I know how much your original one meant to you. You might not be performing in any tournaments anytime soon, but I thought you might like this one.” 

Just like his mom over the earrings, Johnny was left speechless. The headband had been seen as something so minuscule, he hadn’t even confessed the loss of it to his mother. There was so much more going on that it seemed stupid to be sad over something like that. 

Now here was Daniel, noticing that sadness and doing something about it. 

Johnny took the material, carefully wrapping it around his head and tying it tightly in place. Daniel touched his forehead gently, smiling constantly. “Gorgeous.” He started proudly. 

Johnny leaned in, kissing Daniel slowly. “Thank you, Danny.” 

Daniel licked his lips, gesturing to the bag. “There’s more,” he mentioned then. 

Johnny rummaged through the tissue paper, pulling out a white box similar to skin cream. “Do you and your mom have an inside joke that I don’t know about?” 

“Turn it over.” Daniel requested. 

Johnny did just that, his eyes zoning in on the words. KY Lubricating Jelly. Johnson & Johnson brand. The gears in Johnny's head didn’t burn for very long and he looked back to his boyfriend for clarification. 

“I’m taking a page out of your book, sensei,” Daniel told him softly. “For Christmas, you get this,” He reached up, touching the headband gently with his finger tips before bringing them down to touch at his own chest. “And this.” 

“I get you?” Johnny asked dumbly. 

“Every part of me.” 

Johnny swallowed hard, turning to look back out the windshield. He was no blushing virgin but the words had left him practically terrified. Daniel was rambling then, insisting that if it was too soon they didn’t have to do a single thing and could just hang out. He also brought up how he wasn’t sure if they should have used condoms on account of neither of them possibly getting pregnant. He’d also have to guess the size of the condoms and didn’t want to be wrong. It was a lot of stress, wanting to lose your virginity, but Johnny cut him off quickly enough. 

“My place is free.” 

Daniel paused, those brown eyes locked on Johnny’s before he turned and started the car on. Johnny took his hand then, a silent agreement rushing over them as they peeled out of the parking out and back to Johnny’s apartment. 

They were silent the drive there, speaking only when they wanted to sing along to the radio. The car was nice enough, if not a bit old fashioned, with comfortable seats and more than enough room in the back. It was a yellow convertible that desperately needed to be worked on, though Daniel was more equipped to handle it. 

The radio however was static as shit and Johnny had been very pleased with himself for purchasing the new stereo for him. Still, twisted to dial enough times to be able to find a song that could finally make it through the soundwaves. 

They still had differences in their music taste. Johnny had witnessed Daniel dancing around to Cyndi Lauper more than once and he was more than happy to call Johnny a rock and roll snob any day of the week. But nobody could deny the sweet sounds of R.E.O Speedwagon, so the two sang along without a single care in the world. 

Daniel parked in Johnny’s usual spot and the blond led them up the stairs into the apartment that Daniel already knew so well. He closed and locked the door, kicking his shoes into the corner and hanging his jacket up like he always did. Daniel did the same, keeping a small space between them. 

There had been times when the two would rush through the door, bumping into everything along the way just to make it onto the bed for a bit of fun. Now they were taking their time, heading into his room as if they had just gotten back to school. Once inside, he closed the door behind them, watching as Daniel took his usual place on Johnny’s bed. 

Johnny turned, removing the headband Daniel had given him and placing it carefully on his dresser. Daniel was watching his every move, causing the taller male to blush as he turned away. 

He hadn’t been this nervous when he lost his virginity. In fact, he was downright pumped about it, though not for the reasons he should have. It had been the talk among the group who would get laid first. Dutch beat them all to the punch by shaking up with his babysitter on his sixteenth birthday, leaving Jimmy, Tommy, Bobby, and him all trying to take the next leap. 

Johnny had been the only one with a girlfriend, so he was the only one with an obvious chance. Ali didn’t make him wait too long and when it was finally over he didn’t even spend the night, choosing to go out with the boys and celebrate his win. 

Johnny didn’t want to run out on Daniel after this. He didn’t want to high five his mom or call up the guys to brag about it. Johnny might not have been the brightest bulb in the shop but he knew when something was special and worth holding onto. 

“Are you just gonna sit there and watch me?” He asked, catching Daniel’s eyes in the corner of his own. 

The other boy smiled, leaning back against the pile of pillows Johnny kept on his bed. “Can you blame me? It’s a pretty sight to see.” 

“I thought we agreed you were the pretty one between us?” Johnny teased, undoing the buttons of his shirt. 

“We can take turns,” Daniel suggested. 

Johnny had gotten about halfway down before pausing to look back at the other boy. “Are you sure about this?” 

They had talked about it before and leave it to Daniel to find a book of positions in the library. His cousin Mike had also given them some books on the subject. Who the fuck knew gay sex was such a hot topic in the literary world. It was pretty obvious how it would go, the only thing left to determine was who did what. 

Daniel bobbed his head, sitting up a bit straighter. “I want to. I want you.” 

“Do you have a preference?” 

“It’s your Christmas gift. You choose.” 

Johnny laughed, his hands falling onto his hips the same way his moms did. “I’m not gonna stick it in you if you don’t want me to.” 

“Pure poetry, John,” Daniel commented, earning him a strong middle finger from the blond. He moved closer then, scooting to the end of the bed. “I want you, Johnny. All of you. So if sticking it in me is what you want then I’m all for it. Bought the lube for a reason.” 

It shouldn’t have been this hard of a decision. Johnny hadn’t put any real thought into taking it up the ass, so why would he even be interested? Then again, he had no real interest in having a dick in his mouth and he hadn’t stopped thinking about that since it happened. 

“I want you to do it, Johnny.” Daniel voiced gently, reaching out to take his hand. “I trust you.” 

It was those words that caught his attention. They hadn’t reached the point in their relationship where big words of love were spoken or confessions were made. Johnny knew he had never wanted someone as much as he wanted Daniel and vice versa. But hearing him say he trusted him, especially with something they were both so unsure about. Well, it sealed the deal for Johnny. 

He bobbed his head, letting go of Daniel’s hand so he could continue undressing. Daniel stood then, going to join him until they were both in nothing more than their boxers. They had been to this stage before and even further, but they still blushed as they looked over one another. 

Daniel moved to lay back on the bed, letting Johnny remove the final piece of clothing. They both tried to keep their cool but found themselves laughing at how ridiculous it was and after a moment, Daniel pulled him in for a kiss demanding they both chill the fuck out. 

The words helped a little bit and when Johnny grabbed the box of lube, he wasn’t a complete mess opening it up. 

He figured they’d just get over the first part and told Daniel to lay back and relax. He warmed the lube upon his fingers, demanding the other boy choose something to focus on. The sound of his voice, one of the trophies across the wall. A picture of Mark Hamil in his head. Johnny didn’t care so long as he was focused. 

Johnny knew how to please a partner and Daniel was no different. He would be patient and understanding for as long as he needed. When Daniel was ready, he moved slowly, pushing in a single finger. He was careful not to go too fast and relaxed himself every time he felt Daniel tense up. 

He stayed close to Daniel, kissing along his jaw and whispering words of praise into his ear. He kept his motions simple, just enjoying relaxing Daniel and opening him up for another finger. 

“Just breathe, Danny. I’m right here.” He reassured him. 

Daniel could only bob his head and let out a breath he had been holding onto. When the second finger was added he put on a bit of a show, twisting and scissoring them as much as he could. Such a simple act drove Daniel wild however and he caught the other boy red-handed trying to jerk himself off to the act. 

Well, if Daniel needed to get off then who was Johnny to stop him? With his hand still moving his fingers from knuckle to tip, Johnny dipped his head down to take Daniel into his mouth, running around his member in hopes of the vibrations being enough to calm him. 

In reality, it just made Daniel more feral, causing the other boy to whimper aloud and push his hips into and onto Johnny. The idea of Daniel thrusting into Johnny’s throat, fucking him ruthlessly popped into Johnny’s head and he made a silent reminder to bring that up at a later date. 

For now, he wanted to zero in on Daniel getting off right here and now, and hollowed out his cheeks in hopes of urging him onward. It seemed to work as Daniel didn’t give him much of a warning before finishing. Johnny ended up catching the tail end of his stream, swallowing most of it out of habit.

He pulled back, coughing up a breath, but was laughing by the end of it, catching Daniel’s sympathetic expression. “God, you’re so hot,” Johnny admitted, looking over Daniel laying stark naked on his bed. 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Daniel commented, biting his lip as his eyes dropped on the obvious bulge on Johnny’s boxers. “I’m ready for the real deal.” 

“Yeah? Ready for the good stuff?” Johnny asked, laughing as Daniel shoved him back. 

He stood up then, going to clean off his hands and grab the bottle of lube. He dropped his boxers, turning around to face Daniel once again. He thought of which position would have been better, but he decided to keep him where he was, wanting to be able to see him during all this. 

“Get comfortable.” He requested, going to squeeze a hearty portion of lube into his hand. 

Daniel shifted on the bed a bit, pulling a pillow under his back to give him a bit of leverage. Johnny ran his lube covered hand along his shaft, warming and slicking himself up for the other boy. Climbing back onto the bed, he settled between Daniel’s legs. 

“All right, Danny boy, final chance to bow down,” Johnny told him, running his thumb along the inside of Daniel’s bent knee. 

“Not in your dreams, Johnny.” 

“Oh trust me, baby. This right here is my dream.” Johnny confessed, scooting closer to Daniel. 

Johnny took in the sight one last time, of Daniel spread out on his bed, those big eyes watching him and pouty lips turned up into an impatient scowl. He moved in carefully then, lining himself up just so and after counting himself down, pushed inside. 

He moved painstakingly slowly, not wanting to hurt Daniel than he already was. Certainly wasn’t going to just slam right in and go to town. Wasn’t the point in having good sex that both parties were enjoying it? 

He pushed inside inch by inch, listening out for any word from Daniel that would make him stop. It wasn’t until he was all the way in, completely bottomed out did he do or say anything. 

“Breathe, Danny.” Johnny requested again. Daniel responded by blowing hot air in his face, causing Johnny to respond by pinching his side. “Brat.” 

“Yeah? Well, you have a big dick.” Daniel grunted. 

Johnny pulled away, unsure if he should be worried or laugh. “Is that a compliment or an insult?” 

“Both,” Daniel replied. 

Johnny worried for a moment that Daniel might have been regretting it only for Daniel to reach up and touch his face. It was a small gesture, but one that Johnny leaned into, falling into that well-known caress easily. 

“Move Johnny.” He requested. 

And with a bob of his head, he did just that. Leaning on his forearms and turning his head to kiss the other boy, Johnny began moving his hips, finding a rhythm that wasn’t too painstakingly slow for either of them.

Words could not fully describe how it felt, though if Johnny had to choose any he’d go with fantastic. He was sure it could be better, but he was doing the best he could to make it enjoyable for them both. Daniel, being the blushing virgin that he was, felt hot and tight around him, making Johnny’s brain practically melt. 

Still, while Johnny knew he had the upper hand here, he wanted Daniel to enjoy it just as much as he did. So he snaked his hand down between their bodies and wrapped his hand around Daniel’s cock, which had gotten hard and was leaking all over again. Oh, to be young and be able to snap back like a rubber band.

That seemed to do the trick and Daniel released a moan he had been holding in, arching his body up to meet Johnny’s thrust with a few of his own. It was maddening to Johnny how nobody had come along and gobbled him up just yet. That no person had been able to hold his attention until now.

In the back of Johnny’s mind, a little voice was reminding him that maybe, just maybe, Daniel was waiting for the right person to come along, and maybe, just maybe, that right person was Johnny. 

That was a thought for another time, however. Right now, Johnny could feel the familiar pull in his belly, signifying this was going to be over soon enough. Not wanting to cum and run, Johnny sped up his hand movements, wanting Daniel to finish alongside him. 

It took a bit of time, but with the combination of his hand and encouraging words being whispered into his ear, Daniel came for the second time that night, covering Johnny’s hands and both their stomachs in the process.

Johnny didn’t think about the mess, however. He was charging straight for that end line, holding onto Daniel with a vice grip as his moans became louder and more persistent. When he finally released it was with a sharp cry, half of which Daniel swallowed as he pulled him in for another kiss. 

They laid together panting, foreheads pressed together as they slowly came down from their high. After a moment, Johnny rolled over and off of Daniel, pulling himself free from the other boy. His muscles ached in a way that had only happened when he was on the karate mat and he was just as sweaty and messy. 

His brain processed then that he had finished inside of Daniel and while they were both very sure they had a clean bill of health, he realized he should have pulled out or worn a condom. 

Still, Daniel didn’t seem too disappointed, offering him that lovable loopy smile as they laid together on his bed. 

“Merry Christmas, Johnny.” He muttered softly, lifting his hand and offering it to the blond. 

Johnny took it without a second thought, lacing their fingers together and pulling it down so he could kiss the back of it. “Merry Christmas, Daniel.” He replied, turning his head so he could look into those beautiful brown eyes and enjoy their momentary bliss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to everyone commenting, whether it's one single word or an entire essay. You have no idea how much it means to me. I was honestly in a funk when I started writing this and I wasn't sure it was going to be any good or if anybody would even like it. There are two more chapters left after this, so I'll see you then.


	14. Chapter 14

Johnny liked to say that he and Daniel didn’t become sex crazy after their night together. It had been amazing there was no denying that, but there hadn’t been some wild pull, this needy desire split between them demanding that they do it again. 

The two had spent every single day together during their winter break. Johnny was still working, but without having to worry about school they really didn’t have anything keeping them apart. Johnny expected their mothers to be disappointed, maybe even insist that Daniel go see some of his other friends instead of constantly following Johnny around and vice versa. Expect those words never came. 

It was almost like they both knew it wasn’t going to happen. If Daniel did go and hang out with his soccer friends, Johnny would either tag along or they’d meet up later. Johnny hadn’t been bothered by the fact that he went from being the most popular kid in school with four other guys at his beck and call to only having Daniel as his companion. 

He got along with people at school and had become pretty friendly with his coworkers. There was one girl that was particularly kind to him and it didn’t take a moron to pick up on her flirtatious remarks. Johnny hadn’t responded in any similar way, though he knew better than to just blow off someone who had been working there longer than him. 

He took care of it the old fashioned way by making sure the girl exactly who it was that held his eye. At first glance, you wouldn’t guess that Daniel was the jealous type but after one fine afternoon when Daniel dropped by to pick Johnny up from work he witnessed firsthand just how chummy the girl was with Johnny. She would comment and compliment on his muscles and after finding out he did karate, she told him she would just love to learn a few moves from him. 

Had he met her earlier on and she had been just as eager, Johnny would have been more than happy to show her to Cobra Kai technique, but now he was spoken for and found that the only person he wanted to hear those words of praise from was Daniel. 

Daniel, who hadn’t shown off their relationship to anyone other than his own mom, wasn’t too keen to see someone just openly flirting with him and while they still weren’t ready to let the entire world know they were together, Daniel was more than happy to leave a very visible mark on Johnny’s neck so the girl knew to back off. 

Being thrown in the back of that old convertible by an overzealous Daniel Larusso hadn’t been something Johnny expected to happen, but by the end, he was too blissful to care. The following day he came in, making sure to wear an extra-low tank top so the hickey was front and centered. The face the girl made after spotting it had been so good, Johnny wished he had his Polaroid so he could snap a picture of it and give it to Daniel as a last-minute Christmas gift. 

Aside from that, however, they hadn’t really been getting down and dirty. 

Not until today at least. 

They weren’t too sure how it happened. First, it started snowing and Johnny, as insane as it sounded, had never been around snow before. Daniel was excited to experience this first time with him and demanded that they go out and toss a few snowballs.

And if Johnny had to be completely honest, it was terrible. He hated the cold weather and snow was just another form of that. It was wet, and in some places hard, and touching it even with gloves was a pain in the ass. 

Daniel took full advantage of this however and made sure to one-up him every single chance he got, pelting him with the ball after the ball because he knew the other boy wouldn’t be able to catch up to him. 

It all came to a close however when Daniel threw one final ball, nailing Johnny directly in the face. The hit came to a shock and for a moment he saw stars before his vision finally learned and a very concerned Daniel was standing over him.

He was starting to wonder if the guy had a thing for hitting him in the head, but he was too busy letting Daniel frantically fawn over him to even ask. 

They went inside after that, both changing out of their freezing wet clothes and Johnny putting the heating pack his mom used for her back on his forehead to bring down the headache. 

Daniel was persistent that it had been an accident and they were just having some fun and begged Johnny to let him fix it some way, somehow. All Johnny could do was pout and avoid eye contact, finally letting out a sigh that he was still cold and wouldn’t have minded being warmed up. 

And that’s how they ended up in his room both stripped completely naked, kissing wetly and moaning out without care because his mom wasn’t home to hear it. They had broken another barrier, this time with Daniel using his fingers on Johnny. It hadn't been something he thought he would enjoy, but he figured that if they were going to be sexually active from this point on he might as well figure out what it was he liked and didn’t like. 

As it turned out, having someone finger him wasn’t the worst thing Johnny had experienced, or maybe it was because it was Daniel doing it. Daniel, who would whisper dirty things in Johnny’s ear and twist his fingers just right and bite down on his neck or his pecs or run his tongue along with his nipples. Daniel, who would come off so sweet and innocent, would turn around and say all the naughty things he wanted Johnny to do with him. 

He had apparently been studying the sexual position book he got from the library like he was taking a fucking exam on it and wanted to practice to get it right. It was ridiculous and sexy all at the same time. 

Johnny was fairly certain he would have gotten off from those words alone had it not been for his phone beginning to ring. 

While he had planned on saving the money his mom gave him for Christmas and using it towards getting his car refined or even for college, he wound up splurging on himself and buying a separate phone line for him to use. Just so he could sit in his room and speak to whoever he wanted without having to stand in the kitchen under the watchful eyes or ears of his mom.

The issue was, he hadn’t given the number to anyone other than Daniel. His mom still called the apartment phone whenever she needed something so when it began ringing and then continued to ring, and ring, and ring, Johnny couldn’t help to be a little curious. 

“Just gimme the damn thing,” Johnny grunted, breaking his mouth away from Daniel’s to say the words. 

Daniel, who had been two fingers deep inside him and jerking him off with the other, could only stare at him. “I’m a little busy at the moment.” 

When the phone began to ring again, Johnny relented and pushed the other boy away, smacking him with an apologetic kiss on the corner of his mouth before jumping up off the bed and over to the dresser where his personal phone sat.

“Hello? Can I help you?” He demanded, half expecting it to be some wrong number or maybe even the telephone company wanting to know what he thought of his new product. 

But when an all too familiar voice got on the line, Johnny found himself shocked to silence. “Ooh, calm down Rapunzel, did we interrupt your beauty sleep?” 

“Dutch?”

In the background he could hear Tommy, correcting their friend that Sleeping Beauty’s name was Aurora, though Dutch didn’t seem to give a shit. “The one and only.” 

“How did you get my number?” 

“You think you’re hard to track down? How many pricks are named Johnny Lawrence in New Jersey?” 

“I wouldn’t know,” Johnny muttered, his eyes flashing to Daniel for the moment.

There was some tussling on the other line and he could hear the echo of Dutch swearing until another voice came over. “Johnny? Hey. I don’t you don’t mind. Your mom gave me your number the other day when I called. She said you were at work but mentioned you’d be off today.” 

“It’s fine, Bobby.”

“Did we catch you at a bad time?” 

“No.” Johnny replied, wincing at how quick he was to reply. “Maybe a little. What’s up?” 

“We won’t keep you. Dutch just wanted to let you know that his old man got him a room at the Plaza for Christmas. Apparently, his parents were supposed to celebrate New Years' Eve in New York, but they had to go on a business trip instead so they gave it to him.” 

“The Plaza? You mean that giant hotel shown in all the movies?” 

“The one and only. We’re leaving tonight and should arrive in the city first thing tomorrow. We’ll be there until the second. We don’t exactly know how far Newark is from the city but figured we’d let you know in case you wanted to meet up.” 

“You’re coming here?” Johnny asked, his tone dropping into an almost whisper. 

“I mean we could or you’re welcome to stay with us. It’s a suite, so there’s plenty of room.” 

Dutch came over the phone again and Johnny could practically see his smug expression as he spoke. “NYC for NYE, baby. We’re gonna blow this place up. Whoo!” 

Johnny swallowed hard, trying to quench his suddenly dry thought. “Yeah. Sounds great. Um. Tomorrow. Call me tomorrow and we’ll set it up, okay?” 

“All right. Sounds like a plan. Talk to you later, Johnny.” 

He held the phone to his ear even after the others hung up. Only when the endless dial tone began blasting did he finally slam it back onto the ringer. He sat back on the bed, staring out into the distance for as long as he could until Daniel finally made a move, touching his shoulder gently. 

“Everything okay?” He asked, snapping the blond back into reality. 

“Huh? Yeah. That was Bobby. He and the others, they’re going to the city for New Year's Eve. They asked to meet up.” 

“Oh shit. Dude, that’s great!” Daniel replied, chipper as ever. Daniel had heard every story that Johnny could think of about the group, all the good and the bad. He knew more about the Cobra Kai boys than anybody and he hadn’t even had the chance to meet them yet.

Until now, at least. 

Johnny sighed, flopping back onto the bed as his hands came to cover his face. Daniel went to lay beside him, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, which he was sure still had a red mark on it from the snowball fight.

“Hey. It’s gonna be alright.” 

“I haven’t seen them in months, Danny. The person I was when I was with them?” Johnny shook his head, knowing exactly the prick he had once been. The guy who didn’t care about his girlfriend or about family time. The one who didn’t have to work because he had a rich step daddy and only cared about his karate lessons. The one who wore designer and had a hand and a dirt bike. Who lived by ‘strike first, strike hard’ and didn’t think mercy was worthy to anybody he deemed lower than himself. 

“You wouldn’t have liked that guy.” 

“But you’re not that guy anymore.” Daniel pointed out. “And I’m sure your friends are going to be fine with that. People change! Sometimes for the good. Your friends aren't going to drop you just because you aren’t the Cobra Kai King anymore.” 

Johnny whined, rolling over then. He didn’t care if they were both naked and had been in the middle of some pretty intense sexescapades. He turned to face Daniel, moving them both so he was laying on top of the other boy, cuddling into him and smashing his face into Daniel’s chest so he didn’t have to see the rest of the world. 

Daniel gave in automatically, wrapping his arms around Johnny and holding him against him with ease. 

“And hey, look at it this way. I’ll still be here. I don’t know if you realize this or not, but you can’t actually get rid of me.” 

“You say that now.” 

Daniel lifted his hand, combing his fingers through Johnny’s hair slowly. “I’m in this for the long haul, Lawrence. Might as well accept it now.” 

Johnny sighed once more, pressing a kiss to Daniel’s chest. He hadn’t expected him to be so blase about it, but he was thankful for it nonetheless.

  
  


When the following day arrived, Johnny went out to meet the guys by his local mall. He still wasn’t keen on having them over to his place. It was cramped and not nearly as flashy as his house had been. He sat in the parking lot, leaning against the Firebird as he waited for them to arrive.

When they arrived, it was in a rental car. Something flashy and expensive, because lord knows Dutch wouldn’t drive some shit bucket around NYC. Johnny would be lying if he said he didn’t miss his friends. He had grown accustomed to his life in Newark, but when he saw the four of them pile out of the car and make their way over, that familiar swell of excitement bubbled inside him. 

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Dutch laughed, throwing his arms around Johnny for a rough embrace. 

“You’re not looking too pretty either,” Johnny replied, letting the other pull him in before breaking away to hug the others. 

“Jersey made you soft man. The fuck are you even wearing?” Jimmy questioned, tugging at the collar of his jacket. 

It was nothing special, a second-hand denim jacket his mom had found at Goodwill. The idea of wearing donated clothing had once made Johnny feel lower than dirt, but he had gotten over that thought process, finding that he could pretty much pull off anything so who gave a shit where it came from? 

Daniel had made it worthwhile, however, suggesting they put patches over it or maybe a design on the back. It was still a work in progress, however. 

“It’s called vintage, dirtbag. Maybe you should try it sometime.” Johnny shot back, going to lean back against his car. 

“I think I’ll stick with what I got,” He replied, shoving his hands into his Calvin Klein jeans. 

Johnny looked over the four of them, finding that they still looked the same. Bobby still had that kind smile on him. Jimmy and Tommy still had that ‘boy next door’ appeal to them. And Dutch still had that smug look in his eye. All dressed to the line with stylish hair and eager glances. 

“So boys, ready to slum it in Newark, New Jersey?” Dutch called out, turning to look back towards the mall.

Johnny had been there a time or two, following Daniel around to show for Christmas gifts or to just hang around. It didn’t have anything extravagant, but it was still something to do. It was nothing compared to shopping on Vine, where the least expensive item was a pair of socks and that was still fifty bucks at least. 

Now they were checking out all the bargains, laughing at how cheaply made half the stuff was while Johnny just walked along, trying to catch up on everything that he had missed. Tommy and Bobby both had girlfriends at this point, with the former finally losing his V card after the winter formal. Jimmy was determined to be the next up, while Bobby confessed he didn’t care too much about it anymore. 

He spoke sweetly of his girlfriend, mentioning how it had been love at first sight when they had been introduced. Dutch wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment, using this as an opportunity to flirt with every counter girl that they came in contact with. 

The four of them sat in the food court, watching as Dutch tried to pick up an older woman working the Ray-Ban kiosk. Tommy and Jimmy were lost in their own little world, leaving Bobby and Johnny to talk on their own. 

“So. Do you have your eye on anyone in school?” He asked casually. 

Johnny had been debating on what to say. He knew the question would be asked at some point. After all, he had been pretty vocal about how pissed he was to have to break up with Ali. He wondered if Bobby thought he was still hung up on the girl. Would he be surprised if Johnny confessed he hadn’t thought about her in months? 

“Something like that,” He admitted coyly. 

This intrigued Bobby, who shifted his seat to move in closer. “Really? Cute?” 

Johnny couldn’t help but smile at them, an image of Daniel popping into his head. “Real knockout.” 

“You’ll have to introduce me.” Bobby requested. 

Johnny opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by Tommy and Jimmy, who rushed away from the table at the sighting of the arcade sign. Finished with their fries and unsure of whether or not Dutch would actually score, they stood and followed along. 

Johnny had come to the arcade a time or two, using whatever leftover quarters from doing his laundry and trying to get to a high score. They stood back this time, watching as both Tommy and Jimmy pushed and shoved one another away from the machines. It had been fun, just hanging around with them again. Bobby was talking about Johnny going back to the hotel with them when he caught Judy waving to him from the entrance. 

Excuse himself, he went over to greet her. 

“I saw you on my way out and thought I’d say hi.” She mentioned, adjusting her hold on her shopping bags. 

“Did you rob the store?” He asked playfully. 

“This? Oh no! I got some money for Christmas so I thought I’d splurge a little. Can’t wear just anything for the New Year's Eve party. Are you going?” 

Before Johnny could answer, Daniel appeared, more bags in hand. “I think we’ve shopped enough, Judy.” He spoke to her, glancing over to Johnny. 

In another world, Johnny would have been excited by the surprise appearance of his boyfriend. He would have stepped up and kissed him without a single care and teases him for carrying Judy’s bags. 

But this was New Jersey in the middle of a busy mall; all Johnny could do was offer a simple to his best friend as if it was just a neat coincidence. 

“Look who I found in the arcade.” 

“Yeah? Still, trying to beat my Street Fighter score? Not gonna happen, Lawrence.” 

Bobby was at his side, smiling kindly to the group. Johnny looked between them all, a little lost for words before finally snapping out of it. “Bobby, this is Judy and Daniel. Guys, this is my old friend Bobby.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Judy replied, her eyes shimmering at the prospects of another California boy to fawn over. 

Daniel on the other hand just smiled and said hi, nudging her towards the exit. “We better get going.” 

“Don’t you want to put your jacket on? It’s freezing.” Judy mentioned. 

“I’ll do it in the car. See you later, Johnny.” 

“Bye Johnny!” 

Daniel offered one last look before they turned and left the mall. Johnny watched as they walked, turning to see Bobby looking at him with an all-knowing smirk. They didn’t address it as Dutch returned then, all pissy over not getting the digits. 

They stayed at the arcade for a little while longer, eventually growing bored. They were able to convince Johnny to head to the city with them, though he insisted he wouldn’t be able to spend the night as he had work the following afternoon. They dropped his car off at the complex and he made sure they all stayed quiet about his new living situation as they pulled out and got onto the road. 

Everything was going smoothly until Dutch decided to drag them off to whatever bar he could find that didn’t card them. Johnny knew better than to get shitfaced, but he allowed the guys to buy him drinks, celebrating the Cobra Kai reunion. 

He listened to Dutch’s slurred speech about how he was basically taking over the dojo and Jimmy telling him all about how Dutch was scaring away any recruits that couldn’t handle the first session. 

Johnny thought it would hurt hearing about how Kreese had so easily moved on, but he found that it didn’t bother him that much. There was a new love of karate that he had begun to have for the very first time and it wasn’t built on the need to constantly win and be number one. And from what he heard, it seemed Dutch and Kreese was a match made in heaven. If the bleached blond bastard wanted to take his spot, then he could have it rent-free. 

It was a little after eleven when they finally got back to the Plaza. The suite was gorgeous, just like all the other ones they used to rent at the country club so they could have their guy time before heading back down to their dates. 

Tommy fell asleep right on the couch, completely dead to the world while Dutch and Jimmy were determined to head back out and enjoy the New York City nightlife. Bobby was finished however and seeing as he wouldn’t be catching a train ride home this late, Johnny decided to spend the night and head out in the early morning. 

The place offered two beds, a couch, and an armchair, making it just enough room for all of them. Johnny offered to take the armchair since he’d be the one leaving in the morning, which surprised Bobby who had initially prepared to settle down in it. 

Stripping down to his boxers, Johnny waited until Bobby was off in the shower before heading into the main bedroom, going to sit on one of the unoccupied beds, and pick up the phone. He dialed one of the few numbers he actually memorized and silently prayed Lucille didn’t chew his head off for calling so late. 

The soft accented voice picked up instead and Johnny found himself smiling into the receiver. “Hey. It’s me. Did I wake you?” 

“It’s winter break. Who goes to sleep at a normal hour?” Daniel snorted on the other line. 

“I just wanted to say goodnight,” Johnny admitted, wondering if he sounded too lame. “How was shopping with Judy?” 

“It made me very, very grateful to not have a sister,” Daniel replied. “How is the city?” 

Johnny sniffled, rubbing his nose with his hand. “Cold.” He answered. “Went to a bar. Jimmy and Dutch are still out, but the others and I crashed here.” 

“I’m glad you’re having fun.” 

“It was nice seeing you today. You looked cute.” Daniel laughed on the other line and while he couldn’t see it, Johnny could practically feel him blushing over the compliment. “Did you buy anything nice?” 

“Just a shirt for New Years. Ma is making a big deal over the town party so I figured I might as well put actual effort in.” 

“Right. The party.” 

“What time are you coming back tomorrow?” Daniel asked him suddenly. 

“I have worked at twelve so I’m gonna grab the nine AM train.” It would give him enough time to shower and relax before having to head into his shift. 

“I could pick you up if you want.”

“I don’t want you to have to wake up for me.” 

“Are you kidding? I’m still wired from school. I wake up at seven regardless.” 

“Only if you’re sure.” 

“I’ll be there with my bells on.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence then. Johnny wondered what they would be doing if they were together on this night. If they would be together on the couch watching a movie or frantically moving together to get to the bedroom. Would they have had sex or just foreplay? Or maybe they would just fall asleep together, nestled in one another’s arms the way they did time after time. 

“I miss you,” Johnny admitted somberly. 

Daniel chuckled then. Low and tired. “You just saw me.” 

“Yeah, for three fucking seconds.” Going from spending hours together, just a simple passing by was rather lackluster for the blond. 

“Well, you’ll see me tomorrow,” Daniel replied.

Bobby opened the bathroom door then, offering an apologetic smile as he kept through the room. “Sorry. I could only wait there for so long.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Johnny replied. “Hey, I have to go.” 

“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“With bells on?” Johnny asked, practically hearing Daniel roll his eyes. 

“Night, Johnny.” 

“Goodnight.” Johnny hung up the phone, placing it back on the nightstand before standing to exit. “Sorry.” 

Bobby waved him off, running the towel through his hair. “Don’t be. My girl is a knockout too. I get wanting to say goodnight.” 

Johnny wanted to tell him the truth but decided to keep that to himself. It wasn’t just his secret to tell after all. Bidding Bobby a goodnight, Johnny went back into the living room, stealing one of the spare blankets draped over the back of the couch as he settled on the armchair. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable, thanks to his height and width, but it would work for the night. 

Johnny fell asleep to the echoing sounds of Tommy snoring and the reminder that he’d see Daniel soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing our end, my dears. Show me your gratitude for my hard work by telling me all your thoughts in the comments.


	15. Chapter 15

The train from New York to Newark barely took any time at all and was cheaper than a tank of gas. Daniel was there, just as promised and as Johnny approached him he began ringing the silver bells that had been hanging on his tree at Christmas. 

Johnny wasn’t completely hungover, having drunk only enough to get a little tipsy, but he was exhausted from the late night and having been woken up by a very drunk Dutch and Jimmy as they stumbled into the suite in the early mornings. 

“Why aren’t you wearing a jacket?” Johnny asked as a greeting. 

“It’s in the car. Wasn’t sure if it was just you coming.” Daniel admitted. “Can’t find my other one and I’ve been wearing yours for so long. Didn’t think you wanted the guys seeing me in it.” 

The thought hadn’t crossed Johnny’s mind if he was being honest. He knew if the guys had seen Daniel wearing his Cobra Kai jacket they would have something to say, but Johnny found that he just didn’t care. 

“Wear it. I’d rather put up with them bitching than put up with you sneezing.” Johnny replied as they got into the convertible. 

Daniel reached into the back seat of the car, grabbing the red jacket he had obviously stashed back there. He had a smile on his face as he shrugged it on, his eyes meeting Johnny’s in the mirror before he backed out of the parking lot. 

It was still early, so Johnny invited Daniel into the apartment, figuring they could hang for a bit before he had to head out for work. His mom was already gone for the day, giving them a bit of privacy. 

Johnny opted for a quick shower, keeping the door open so Daniel could hang out in the hallway and listen to him talk about what he and the guys had done. “I’m glad you had a good night,” Daniel noted, keeping his eyes on Johnny’s as he walked out in a towel. 

“Felt like old times,” Johnny mentioned, leading the shorter male back to his room. “You can meet them if you want. They’re here until the second.” 

“Already met one. If you met one, you met them all, right?” Daniel offered, going to lean back against the dresser. 

Johnny sat back on the bed, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. “Do you not want to or something?” 

“It’s not that,” Daniel said to the floor. “Look, I don’t know them the way you do, but from everything you told me from how hard your Sensei was and how he basically shaped your way of thinking, I just don’t think they’re going to be too keen on the idea of you being with someone like me.” 

“Someone like you?” Johnny mimicked. “What, because you don’t wear designer clothes or drive a car that daddy bought you?” 

“Because I’m a _guy,_ Johnny,” Daniel replied. “Do you really think they’d be okay if you told them you were dating me?” 

Johnny did think about it. During the whole night, he kept wondering what it would have been like if Daniel had been there with him. Would he have gotten drunk off a single pint of beer? Would he have done that little hiccup thing he did when he was drunk? Would he have gotten along with the others or tried to pick a fight? 

Would Jimmy, and Tommy, and Bobby, and Dutch really think of him as any different if they knew the knockout he had his eyes on was a boy instead of a girl? Did it even really matter at the end of the day? Aside from that, he was still the same Johnny they knew and loved, right?

Right?

“You can still meet them. We just won’t tell them about the boyfriend part.” 

The words didn’t feel right leaving his mouth. He knew it was just the harsh reality for them, that they’d have to grow comfortable telling secrets and living a lie. 

It pained Johnny to know he wouldn’t be able to introduce Daniel as his boyfriend to the four guys he trusted most in the world, but that’s how the world worked. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t until but it was life.

Daniel sighed, pushing off the dresser to stand closer to Johnny. “If you want me to meet them, I will.”

“Don’t sound too excited, Danielle, you might faint.” Johnny snorted. He stood then, going to close the gap between them. He was sure this was something they actually had to focus on and discuss, but at this moment, a subject change didn’t seem too bad of an idea. 

He looped his arms around Daniel, tugging him in until they were standing chest to chest. “You know what I realized? It’s been almost 48 hours since you last kissed me.” 

Daniel licked his lips as if he was trying to hide his smile. “Counting the minutes there, John?” 

“Like you didn’t miss me last night. Were you waiting around for my call or was that sheer luck that you were still awake?” 

“You realize you’re still wet right? And now I’m wet, thanks to you.” 

“What are you doing Friday night?” 

“New Year's Eve? Oh, I thought I’d just hang out at home. Maybe rent a movie or something.” Daniel replied dumbly. “My mom wants me to go to that town party.” 

Johnny remembered his own mother talking about it, expressing how much fun she was hoping to have. The country club usually did something every year, with food and dancing for all the members. His mom was the belle of the ball back then, letting anyone and everyone take her for a spin on the dance floor since Sid wanted nothing to do with her. 

“Judy’s going, though she’s all pouty about not having anyone to kiss at midnight.” 

“Think she might land one on you?” 

“If she had it her way, I think so.” 

“If only you had someone there to keep you company and protect those lips from unwanted intruders.” 

Daniel hummed, lifting his arms to look around Johnny’s neck. “If only I had a knight in shining armor.” 

“How about a stud in a red headband?” Johnny offered, leaning back to get a better look at the shorter male’s face. “How about it, Larusso?”

Daniel’s face twisted up then, and a flash of confusion spread across it. “What, like a date?”

Despite being an exclusive couple, neither Daniel nor Johnny made the first move to ask the other out on a date. They mostly just stuck with hanging out at one another's houses or going to grab food after Johnny got out of work. None of those could really be qualified as a date and Johnny wouldn’t want them to be. 

He had asked girls out before and put the effort that was required to make the evening special. He wanted to be able to offer the same thing to Daniel. 

“Yeah. Our first date. We’ll go to the party, judge everyone for their terrible moves on the dance floor, and when the clock strikes twelve, I’ll make sure Judy’s lips are nowhere near yours.” 

“You’re serious,” Daniel muttered. “You actually want to go as a date.” 

“Believe it or not, Larusso, I’m in this for the long haul too,” Johnny replied, squeezing his hips gently. “What do you say?” 

Daniel was quiet for a moment and Johnny’s mind began racing, trying to figure out a way to properly handle any possible chance of him declining the offer. After all, it wasn’t like it could be a proper date for them. They wouldn’t be able to hold hands or dance and if he wanted to kiss him at midnight they would probably have to stick to the shadows or something. But the intentions were there and his feelings were true. All Daniel had to do was make the decision. 

“How could I possibly say no?” He asked, those big brown eyes practically shimmering as he smiled. 

“You really can’t. And if you did, it would have been a dick move.” Johnny replied, yelping as Daniel ripped his towel from him and began whipping him with it. 

“ _That’s_ a dick move, Lawrence.” 

“You just want to see me, naked. I get it.” Johnny replied, holding his hands to his hips proudly. “Take it in, Danny boy.” 

“How long until you have to go to work?” 

Johnny paused, looking at the clock on the nightstand. “Two hours?”

Daniel smirked then, stepping closer to the other male. “Just enough time then.”

“For what?” Johnny questioned, watching him carefully. 

Daniel didn’t answer with words. He just leaned up on his toes, kissing Johnny sweetly before slowly lowering himself down onto his knees. 

  
  


Two hours and one incredibly blow job later, Johnny finally arrived at work. He felt like he was walking on air, having accomplished two great feats in one single morning. He asked his boyfriend out for their first official date and got his dick sucked for the very first time. Johnny drove to work with the memory of it playing in his head, thinking of how wet, and warm, and welcoming Daniel’s mouth was.

How those dark brown eyes watched him from below. Despite never going it before, he came off like a god damn nature. How soft Daniel’s hair was between his fingers as he pulled him in closer. Johnny had to stop himself from thinking about it, otherwise, he would have gotten hard all over again. 

He carried on his shift per usual, thankful that the place was still pretty empty. Come the new year, Johnny knew the place would be swamped with people who want to make good on their resolutions, so the bit of downtime was certainly worth it. 

He called the guys once he got home, listening to them all pass the phone around and talk about their day. None of them had ever been to New York before so they used it as a chance to do all the lame tourist shit and blow more money on things they didn’t even need. They had already broken something in the suite, though Dutch just charged it to the room, not even batting an eye at the price of whatever it was. 

They tried to convince Johnny to come back to the city to celebrate New Years' Eve with them, to which he repeatedly declined, giving them all a different excuse. He said he had to work the following morning, or that his mom wasn’t feeling too hot and he didn’t want to leave Jersey with her in such a state. Anything and everything to get them to back off. Eventually, they did, agreeing to meet up on new years day and have one final send-off.

It was strange, having to go from seeing these guys every single day since Freshman year to having to say goodbye all over again. And yet he wasn’t too beaten up over it. He’s seeing them again. Maybe after graduation, he would head back down to California. He would take Daniel with him and show him what it’s like to live on the East coast for a few days. Take him to the beach, show him how to surf. Enjoy the gentle summer breeze. 

The possibilities were endless. 

Until then, he focused on his current day to day life. When the next day came about, he woke up early, trying everything he could to pick out an outfit for the party. Normally he’d just go in a suit and tie to put on a good impression, but the only person he wanted to impress was his date. 

His mother took pity on him and helped him out, ironing out his shirt and pants. He looked good in black, so he went with that, hoping he didn’t look too out of the scene. His mom wore a silver dress that made her look like an absolute beaut and they had a small conversation on whether or not she would ever date again.

He had seen Sid manhandle his mother since he was just a kid, it would be nice to see her be treated with some respect this time around. 

“If the right guy comes along, I’ll make sure to take a chance on him. Just like you did with Daniel.” She reassured him, putting in the pearl earrings he had gotten her to finish up with her outfit. 

She left first, tagging along with a couple of other ladies from the diner as well as Lucille, who was just as eager to enjoy the festivities. Johnny began pacing his room, trying to calm himself of the nerves bubbling inside his stomach. He wondered if he should have brought anything. Flowers maybe. He wondered if Daniel even liked flowers. He knew he was into those tiny little trees you see in restaurants, but he never mentioned flowers.

Deciding to forgo the romantics, Johnny got in his car and went to the Larusso household. He rang the doorbell, blowing on his hands to warm himself up as he waited for Daniel to answer. When he did, he left Johnny breathlessly. He had cleaned up just as nicely, wearing an outfit similar to his own except a bit more white to it. 

“Well shit. I didn’t think I’d get lucky tonight but that might just change now.” Johnny admitted. Daniel blushed and flipped him off, though Johnny was being completely honest. He reached up, tilting Daniel’s chin upwards so he could kiss him. He wouldn’t get a chance to do it while at the party, so he might as well get it out of his system now. 

“Always gonna kiss me like that?” Daniel asked as they pulled apart.

“Certainly plan on it, Danny,” Johnny replied, licking his lips slowly. 

Daniel paused, pulling away from Johnny to show off the polaroid his mom has left out. “I promised her one picture. For her scrapbook.” He explained. 

Johnny could recall the photo booth at the arcade, where families and couples would climb inside to take pictures. He and Daniel hadn’t done it for obvious reasons but there was no harm in taking pictures at home. 

Johnny took the camera, holding it out as they moved in closer, smiling charmingly for the picture. Daniel took it as it printed it out, shaking it wildly to help it develop. 

“One more. For good luck,” Johnny insisted, wrapping his arm around Daniel’s shoulder. 

He let the other boy countdown, and when he got to three, he pushed his hand against Daniel’s cheek, turning his head so he could kiss him just as he snapped the picture. 

Johnny snickered as the picture printed, placing the camera down on the coffee table. 

“And there’s a picture for your spank bank, Larusso.” He teased.

Daniel pushed him out the door then, taking his hand as they got into Johnny’s car. The party had a decent setup and a pretty good turn out. He saw some people from school and even a couple of his coworkers. His mom was off to the side, mingling with a few other party-goers and it wasn’t long until Judy found them, gushing over how handsome they looked. 

The party overall wasn’t too shabby. The music they chose was actually pretty good and there was a time or two when, in an attempt to embarrass everyone they were sitting with, would loudly sing along with the band, not caring if they were completely off-key. 

The food was pretty good too, though they mostly wound up sharing off each other's plates, swapping what they didn’t like for what they did.

Johnny hit the dance floor a time or two with his mom as well as Lucille. Daniel and he would constantly swap their mothers, spinning them around and trying to show them the latest moves, much to their own embarrassment as well as their mothers. It was as close to dancing with each other as they’d get at this point.

Judy had convinced Daniel to dance with her for a few times and after sitting back and enjoying the view of his boyfriend suffering, he eventually gave in and asked to cut in, letting Daniel have a moment so he could go get some fresh air. 

Johnny spun her around for a quick-paced song, but when a slower one began to play, he gave in and allowed Judy to wrap herself around him as they swayed slowly. 

“Any resolutions to share, Johnny?”

“Me? Oh no, I don’t really believe in those.” He admitted. “I kind of just want to always do better, you know?”

“Wanna know a secret? I think the romantic relationship between Daniel and myself is officially dead.” She confessed with a deep sigh. “He seems happier now. All the power to him.”

Johnny was happy for the height difference, turning his head up and away from Judy to keep his smirk from her sight. He didn’t want to come off as smug but it was hard to do so when you were the winner in the situation. 

“Don’t look so glum, Jude. There is plenty of fish in the sea.” 

“I’m allergic to shellfish, Johnny. There are only so many guppies I can kiss.” 

“Maybe your prince charming isn’t in Newark. Ever thought of that?” He asked, his eyes glancing over her head to look for Daniel. 

There was no sign of him, but he did see two faces that seemed rather out of place. Excusing himself from the dance, Johnny cut through the crowd of people until he got to where he wanted to go. “What are you doing here?” 

“Your mom said you’d be here tonight,” Tommy confessed. 

“We wanted to surprise you. Is that your girlfriend?” Bobby asked, standing on his toes to get a better look at Judy over the crowd. 

“What? No. Where are Dutch and Jimmy?” 

“Outside. We got a bit of a problem. Some twerp is wearing one of our jackets.” Tommy replied, causing Johnny’s stomach to sink. 

He pushed between the two, hurrying outside to the garden where Dutch and Jimmy had Daniel cornered, but looking like they were more than ready to rumble without any context. 

“Hey! Back off.” Johnny snapped, pushing both Dutch and Jimmy away. “He’s with me.” 

“That jacket is earned, punk!” Dutch snapped at him. “What the hell are you doing letting some kid wear our jacket.” 

“He was borrowing it, Dutch. It’s not that big of a deal.” 

“What would Kreese do if he saw some nobody wearing our jacket?” 

“Probably scream about it. All he ever seemed to do by the sound of it.” Daniel commented, pulling the jacket off and tossing it over to Jimmy. “Take it. I’m going back inside.” 

“Daniel.” Johnny watched as the shorter boy moved past him, going back into the venue and leaving the others outside. 

“I tried to tell them you knew him, Johnny,” Bobby said sincerely. 

“So what, that’s the kid you’ve been hanging around with?” 

“Yeah, it is. And I let him use my jacket because he didn’t have one, jackass.” Johnny commented, snatching his jacket back from the other boy. “What are you guys doing here?” 

“We came to surprise you,” Jimmy replied. 

Dutch pulled on the sleeves of his shirt, trying to look unbothered. “Heard you ditched us for some hometown shindig.” 

“My mom wanted me to come, all right? I told you I would meet up with you tomorrow.” 

“It’s New Years, Johnny! We always spend this night together.” Tommy insisted. 

“Not this year. Look, I missed you guys, I did, but I have a life here now. I can’t just walk out on responsibilities because you guys are here.” 

“We just wanted to see you. We can’t be a part of your new life?” Bobby asked softly. 

Johnny paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t how he wanted to handle this, nor was it the place. “Stay. If you want to, but don’t act like a bunch of goons, all right?” 

Turning on his heel, he hurried back inside, searching the room until he spotted Daniel sitting at the table. His expression was blank, but he knew better than to just pass it off. Going over, he knelt beside him, whispering over the music. “Can I talk to you?” 

“I like this song,” Daniel replied, not moving an inch or even turning to look at Johnny. 

“Since when are you an Olivia Newton-John fan?” Johnny scoffed. “Come on. Five minutes. Please?” He crouched down then, tugging at Daniel’s hand until he finally looked at him. “Please Danny?” 

He didn’t know if it was the puppy eyes or the pouty lips. Maybe it was that extra please or calling him Danny the way only he could. Eventually, Daniel sighed and pushed up out of his chair, leading Johnny out of the room and into another across the hall that was open and empty. 

“I’m sorry,” Johnny said right off the bat. “I didn’t know they’d be going.”

“Why are they here?” Daniel asked, his annoyance seething through his voice. 

“They found out where I would be from my mom. They wanted to surprise me. Honestly, Daniel, I didn’t invite them. Not after asking you here as a date.” 

“Some friends you have,” Daniel scoffed. “Trying to jump me over a jacket. Shame I didn’t meet them sooner.” 

“I’m sorry,” Johnny said again even though it wasn’t him that should have been apologizing. 

There was no excuse he could give. California Johnny would have just said that’s how his friends were and if Daniel didn’t like it, then tough shit. But this Johnny knew how ridiculous it was to get upset over something like that. 

Daniel was quiet for a moment, shoving his hands in his pockets to make himself look smaller. “If you want to go, you can.”

“What?” 

“I’m sure they’re offering you a good time. New Year's Eve in NYC? Sounds like a blast to me.” 

“I came here with you. I want to be with you, Daniel.” 

“I’m not going to make you choose between us.” Daniel insisted. “This,” He gestured then, moving his hand between himself and Johnny. “This has been great, but I also understand that there is a side to you that misses your old life and if you get to experience it for a few days, I’m not going to fight it.” 

“I asked you on a date because I wanted to be with you. I’m not leaving just because they couldn’t wait another day to fuck around.” 

“You told me how much fun you had, how much you missed them. They’re going to be leaving in a few days and they came all the way here for you, so just go.” 

“I’m not going to just go! Would you knock it off?” 

“I’m not going to knock it off until you knock it off. Your friends cornered me into a fucking bush all because I was wearing your stupid fucking jacket. I’m not going to be that guy.”

“What guy?”

“The one that makes his significant other choose between him and his friends. There will be other nights, other dates. So just go, Johnny. I’ll be here when you get back.” 

“Get this through your thick fucking skull, Larusso. I’m not leaving. I’m not ditching you because my friends decided to be assholes and crash our date and I’m certainly not going to choose between you. There is no fucking choosing, Danny. There’s no fucking choice. It’s you! I choose you. I love you.” 

The words slipped out of his mouth before they could fully register. Danny stared up at him, those brown eyes wider than ever before. Johnny didn’t even know if he had meant to say it but the feeling bubbling up inside of him was truer than true. 

Johnny had never been in love before. Of course, he loved his mother and he loved his friends and in a way, he even loved his ex, but there was no way to fully describe how he felt about Daniel. The guy literally came out of nowhere and walked right into Johnny’s life, leaving him without a chance to even defend himself from his overzealous and jumpy personality. He was sarcastic, and quick, and could have a temper as bad as Johnny’s.

He was gentle, and understanding, and never judged Johnny for his former misdoings. He believed in Johnny when Johnny didn’t even believe in himself and while they still had a lot to learn about one another and about being in a relationship with one another, there was no denying that what he felt for the other boy was loved. 

So he didn’t waste a second letting Daniel think he said it by accident. He stepped forward, taking Daniel’s face in his hands and holding his chin up so those big brown eyes stayed on his. 

“I _love_ you.” He repeated. “There is no choice, Danny. There never will be. Understand? It’s you. Only you. Always you.” 

“Johnny,” Daniel spoke, though Johnny didn’t let him finish. 

He leaned down, covering the other boy’s mouth with his own. It was a smothering kiss, one that meant business. If Daniel didn’t believe his words, then he would believe his actions. This wasn’t the type of kiss you’d live to just anybody. It was raw, and passionate, and real, just like his feelings. 

When Johnny pulled away, Daniel was watching him and he half expected the other boy to shove him away and bitch at him over being so reckless with his emotions. Instead, he pulled Johnny back in, kissing him back just as desperately. 

Johnny had been teasing when he said they were going to get lucky, but if locking the door and turning off the lights so they could have sex in an empty party room was an option, Johnny was sure they’d take it at that moment. 

The two had already begun the undressing processes with Daniel tugging at the buttons of his shirt and Johnny working for his hand down to unzip Daniel’s pants when they were interpreted. 

Tommy and Bobby were standing together, both staring at the two as if they had set themselves on fire in the middle of the room. 

“What the fuck, Johnny?” Tommy asked bluntly. 

The two broke apart slowly, with Daniel going to wipe his mouth off on the back of his hand while Johnny did a half-assed attempt at fixing his hair. “Hey, guys.” 

“What the _fuck_?” Tommy repeated. 

“So uh, yeah. This is Daniel. I didn’t get to properly introduce you guys.” He said, gesturing to Daniel behind him.

“Hey,” Daniel said, waving awkwardly. 

“We’re together.” 

“You’re gay?” Tommy demanded. 

“Well, bi actually but we are still working on the terminology.”

Daniel came forward then, placing his hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “Did you guys need

something? We were sort of in the middle of something.” 

“We came to tell you,” Tommy began, though Bobby, who had been quiet up until then

cut him off. 

“Dutch was messing with your girlfriend.” 

“Though that may not be the case anymore,” Tommy added. 

“Girlfriend?” Daniel mimicked, realization hitting him like a truck. “Judy!” 

Daniel shot off like a rocket, leaving the room without a second glance. Johnny groaned, pushing between the only two though Tommy held him off. “Were you even planning on telling us?” 

“Not really my concern right now, Tommy. God, why can’t he be normal for five fucking minutes?” 

Moving out of the room, Johnny hurried down the hallway and back out to the garden. Daniel was face to face with Dutch while Judy was slumped in the corner. He went to her first, pulling her out and bringing her back inside. “Did he do anything?” 

Judy shook her head quickly. “Just said a bunch of stuff.”

“Go back to the party,” He instructed, pushing her along before turning to go back out. 

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Daniel demanded, not backing down even after Dutch laughed in his face. 

“I would if I could. Now back off before I snap you like a twig.” 

“Enough, both of you,” Johnny commanded, going to come between the two of them. 

“You’re little pal here thinks he’s real smart breaking up my fun.”

“Yeah, we heard about your fun. You couldn’t keep it in your pants for another hour?” 

“She was cute. Bobby said she was a friend of yours. Figured if she’d go for you, maybe she’ll go for me.” 

“Bastard!” Daniel lunged at him then, forcing Johnny to pull him back before he could reach the other guy. 

“Awe, come on Johnny! Don’t hold him back! Little shit wants to wear our jacket so badly, might as well let him earn it.” 

“Touch him and you’re dead!” Johnny threatened smoothly. 

“Nice to see where your loyalty lies, Johnny. You know, Sensei was right about you.” 

“Let me go,” Daniel muttered, shrugging against him. 

“Fuck off, Dutch. Why don’t you just get out of here?”

Daniel broke away from his hold, straightening out his shirt. “I don’t need you to be my bodyguard.”

“Like hell you do. He’s trained, Daniel.” 

“So am I.” 

“Not professionally!” 

Dutch whisted then, cracking his knuckles as he watched the two. “You think you can take me, punk? Bring it on.” 

Johnny and Daniel exchange a look and in a quick sidestep, Johnny blocked the path between the two.

“Dutch, let’s just go, man,” Bobby called out. 

“Quiet! Take it or leave it, punk.”

“Nobody is fighting.” Johnny insisted though Daniel pushed past him to get in Dutch’s face. 

“You’re on.” 

Jimmy moved forward then, grabbing Johnny from behind and tugging him back to keep him at bay. He struggled to move, but Tommy joined in, holding him down.

“What the fuck do you two think you’re doing?” 

“Sorry, Johnny. Dutch’s rule.” Jimmy replied shortly. 

Johnny watched as Daniel and Dutch circled one another. He had shown Daniel the same technique, how you always wanted to keep moving, and never let your opponent know where you planned on striking. The scene before him was horrifying to Johnny, as he knew exactly how dirty Dutch could fight. 

He had been disqualified before during tournaments and if the word of him torturing the new recruits to Cobra Kai was anything to lean on, chances are he had just gotten worse with Johnny being gone. 

“Alright, squirt. Let’s see what you got, huh? Come on, hit me!” Dutch demanded, shadow boxing the air around him. 

“And here I thought Cobras struck first.” 

“Oh, well now I see where you got your lessons from. Johnny Lawrence isn’t the Cobra Kai King anymore. That title has been given to someone who can actually bring pride to it.” 

“Big talk coming from someone who hadn’t made a move. Are you sure you’re not a garden snake?” Daniel teased. 

Words had always been Dutch’s enemy. He was never afraid to go after someone when he thought they were being rude to him. It didn’t surprise Johnny in the least when all it took was for some verbal encouragement to make Dutch make the first move. 

Daniel blocked it, just as he had been trained to do. The up and down, side to side motion that he had read about and worked on with Johnny had finally come in handy, but as Johnny already knew, Dutch liked to play dirt and made a quick decision to headbutt Daniel to knock him off his game. 

Daniel stumbled back, frazzled by the sudden head pain, giving Dutch enough time to come around and to joint kick him directly in the knee, knocking him down. It would have been enough then, but Dutch carried on, going to kick Daniel while he was down, breaking open the boy’s mouth until blood came flowing out. 

“Let me go you stupid fucks!” Johnny screamed, jutting his body around in hopes of freeing himself. 

“That’s enough, Dutch!” Bobby shouted from the sidelines. 

“Have you had enough?” Dutch asked Daniel, who flipped himself over so he was sitting up. 

Dutch went to kick him again, but Daniel caught him with his own legs, twisting himself around to pull Dutch down with him. It was the same move he had used on Johnny, except this time he pushed himself up to stand, getting back into the proper fighting position. 

He wiped the blood from his face and bounced idly on his toes, waiting for Dutch to stand so he could strike for the first time, delivering a flawless spin hook kick that knocked Dutch back onto the ground. 

Dutch pushed himself up back, giving a running start, but Daniel held still, knocking him up and over with his shoulder and tossing him into the rose garden beside them. 

“Have you had enough?” Daniel asked, spitting out saliva and blood onto the concrete. 

Dutch stood up once more, dusting himself off and cracking the muscles in his neck as he climbed back over. “You’re dead meat, kid.” 

Daniel waved him on with his fingers, unbothered. “Bring it.” 

Johnny watched helplessly as the two went back at it. Striking and dodging, hitting one another on the ribs, and knee, and back. Any time Daniel was knocked down, he got right back up, unphased by the consistent slams onto the concrete or the brutal attack Dutch was delivering. 

Dutch seemed to get the upper hand on him, however, kicking him repeatedly until he was kneeling on the ground, his mouth bloodier than before. He went to grab him again, to deliver the final blow, but Daniel moved at the last second, throwing Dutch off his balance. Twisting his arm around, Daniel stood pinning Dutch to the ground with his arms bent. 

“Finish him, Daniel!” Tommy called out. 

Jimmy punched his shoulder suddenly. “Whose side are you on?” 

Bobby came forward then, ripping Jimmy’s hands-off Johnny, freeing the other boy from his old. 

“Idiots! Both of you!” Johnny shouted in Jimmy and Tommy’s faces, turning back to see Daniel still holding Dutch down.

It would have been so easy to give in to the rush and give that final blow. It could be a kick to the leg or knee to the neck. All he had to do was make the move. 

But instead, he stood up, turning to the garden to spit another wad of blood out of his mouth. “That’s it?” Dutch demanded, turning his head to look up as Daniel released him. “Only pussies give mercy to their enemy.” 

“You’re not my enemy, Dutch. You’re just an asshole.” Daniel called out over his shoulder, walking through the garden to get over to Johnny and the others. 

He didn’t say a word to any of them, offering nothing more than harsh glances to the three before going to grab Johnny back the back of the neck. He pulled him in, kissing him hard and smearing his blood across Johnny’s mouth. 

“Fuck, that’s gonna hurt for a while.” He muttered as they broke apart. 

“Are you okay?” Johnny asked, looking him over quickly. 

“I’m fine. Bruised, but fine.” Daniel reassured him. 

“We should go,” Johnny told him softly. He looked back, watching as Dutch pushed himself to stand up once again. “I’ll meet you inside.” 

Daniel offered a smirk and a salute to the other guys before heading back into the venue. Johnny, who had dropped his jacket after being held off by Jimmy and Tommy, snatched it on the ground.

“So you’re a fag now?” Dutch demanded, standing up and wiping the blood from his mouth. 

“Sure am,” Johnny replied easily, sending a glare over to the rest of the group. 

“That jacket is for Cobras only.” Dutch hissed out. 

“Keep it.” Johnny spat, throwing it in Dutch’s face. “I’m done with Cobra Kai. There is a difference between giving mercy and having honor. Why don’t you learn that before coming back to my neighborhood.” 

Johnny turned and left then, going to find Daniel in the boy's bathroom trying to wash off the blood. Daniel offered a wonky smile and the tease that he now understood the pain Johnny felt having gotten hit in the face time after time. They managed to clean up just a little before leaving the venue, thankfully sneaking past off their mothers and avoiding whatever reaction they would have had. 

They were all the way to the parking lot when they heard Bobby calling his name. Daniel stood his ground, ready to take on another fight, but the blond held his hands up in peace. 

“I’m sorry. I should have known something would happen. Dutch has gotten worse since you left and the others. I don’t know, man. I should have warned you.” 

“Doesn’t matter now.” 

What was done was done. All the memories Johnny and the others shared would be nothing more than memories. If Dutch wanted to bury him in the ground, then let him do just that. Johnny was better off anyhow.

“I just wanted to say, whatever it is you have going on, I’m here for you.” Bobby proceeded to say. “Gay or not, you totally kicked Dutch’s ass. Better than any Cobra out there.” 

“Thanks, man,” Daniel replied, wincing as he clutched his side. 

“I should probably get back. Something tells me it’s going to be a very long flight home.” Bobby mentioned. “I’ll call you when I get back to Cali?” 

“Sounds good.” 

Bobby turned, proceeding back to the venue only to pause. “Shit. I almost forgot. I had to grab something from Sid’s place and I snagged this on my way out.” Bobby went into his jacket pocket, pulling out a black, folded up piece of fabric. 

He handed it off to Johnny, who knew exactly what it was on sight. He had left it in his room, in the same draw, it was always in. Bobby, who had never been one to cause fights and would never do anything outwardly dangerous, took this from Sid’s house and brought it with him just to give it back to Johnny, which was astonishing. 

“Make it a last-minute Christmas gift,” Bobby told him, clapping Johnny’s back before turning around and heading back to the venue. 

“What he gives you?” Daniel asked, leaning against the Firebird for support. 

“Something from the past,” Johnny commented, shoving it into his pocket before turning around and helping Daniel inside. 

When they got back to Daniel’s house, Johnny did everything he could to check on him. He was sure a rib or two was broken, but the boy refused to go to the hospital, insisting he’d live with the pain at least until tomorrow. 

He would up with a handful of other bruises, but he was proud enough to call them battle scars for the time being. When he finished his check-up, he set Daniel on the couch with a bag of ice and some frozen peas in hopes of bringing the swelling down. 

“Not bad for my first time, huh?” 

“Seeing you kick somebody's ass was pretty hot, I will admit,” Johnny confessed, going to settle beside him. 

“Oh, I meant my first time on a date. Oh no, baby. I kick asses every day of the week. Yours included.” 

Johnny laughed softly, reaching out to take Daniel’s hand in his own. “I’m sorry they ruined our date.”

“You can make it up to me,” Daniel told him, his thumb running along Johnny’s knuckles slowly. “Your New Year's Resolution can be to take me on another amazing date.”

Johnny didn’t reply, instead of focusing on the soothing feeling of the back and forth of Daniel’s thumb along with his hand. Daniel sat up straighter, grunting through the pain as he turned to face Johnny. 

“So I never actually got to respond to you know, you. Saying what you said.”

“And what did I say?” 

Daniel rolled his eyes playfully. “Don’t make me repeat it.”

“Why? I said it twice.” Johnny reminded him. “You don’t have to say anything, Daniel. Especially after tonight.” 

“I want to,” Daniel insisted. “After everything we’ve been through, I think it’s only fair we be completely honest with one another.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning . . . even though my entire body hurts and there is a very good chance I have a concussion, is there no place else I’d rather be.” Daniel reached up then with his second hand, touching Johnny’s cheek ever so lightly. “I love you, Johnny.” 

Johnny could feel the swell of tears forming in his eyes. Maybe it was just the rush of the emotion or the excitement of having that first-ever love feeling the same way you do, but Johnny couldn’t help himself. The only person to ever mutter those worlds was his mother and the only other person he wanted to hear them from was Daniel. 

He leaned in, kissing the other boy slowly. They lingered there with Daniel pushing in for more only to lean away, wincing in pain. “Fuck. Still hurts.” He muttered, laughing through the pain. 

Johnny pulled back then, digging his hand into his pocket so he could pull out his headband. It had been the same one Ali had given him, and while that should have tainted its meaning to a degree, he no longer saw it as a gift from an ex. 

The headband had been a part of his uniform for as long as he could remember and he wore it while winning every single tournament, never losing a point at all. It was also the only piece of his gi that wasn’t owned by Cobra Kai. 

The piece meant more to him than anything and to have it back in his possession left Johnny feeling like the hole in his heart that formed when this all began had finally been filled. 

He leaned back then, going to tie the band around Daniel’s head, leaning up to kiss his forehead when he finished.

“There. Now you’re the real karate kid.” He announced. 

Daniel touched the headband gently with his head, that boyishly beautiful smile spreading across his lips. 

Fireworks went off then and when the two looked at the clock they saw it was twelve o’clock on the dot. 

“Happy New Year, Danny,” Johnny said cheerfully. 

Daniel pulled him in by the collar, not giving a damn about his bruised nose or busted lip. “Happy New Year, John.” He replied.

And for the first time for both of them, they finally had that over the moon, seeing stars, out of this whole fucking world kiss at midnight as they welcomed in the new year.

And what a wonderful year it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit! It's finally over! God, what a wild ride, huh? Now, for those who don't creep in the comments as I do, please allow me to announce that this story WILL indeed have a sequel! Not sure when I will post it, hopefully by Monday. You'll get to see Daniel and Johnny through the years. It's going to be a very long, emotional rollercoaster. I hope you'll be there to join me.
> 
> Until then, please tell me in the comments how you felt about this ending. I say this with every beat of my heart, this fic is for you people, the lovely readers, and I crave your words and your attention. 
> 
> Until next time.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. It wasn't easy to write but having Ralph and William to look at for inspiration was certainly a plus. Please tell me what you thought down below. Your words are the only thing that will keep me going. 
> 
> Until next time.


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